Hot-Mixed Asphalt (HMA) is an asphalt mix heated and poured around 300 F to 350F. HMA is the most commonly used asphalt mix in the United States and is used in highway and road construction. HMA comes in three categories; dense graded, open-graded, and gap graded.
Warm-Mixed Asphalt (WMA) has been hailed as the best thing to happen to the paving industry in decades. WMA additives or mix processes allow the production and placement at much lower temperatures of 30 F to 100 F. This holds multiple benefits for those with jobs in construction, especially those employed in asphalt construction. WMA reduces paving costs in several ways. The mix production consumes less fuel and extends the paving season because it can be produced and placed at much lower temperatures than Hot-Mixed Asphalt requires.
Warm-Mixed Asphalt is much better for those who have jobs in construction because it is laid at a lower temperature, so there are less dust, smoke, and fumes. It can also safely be used in tunnels or on days where the air quality is particularly bad at a specific site. Kilgore Companies employs many jobs in construction and uses Warm-Mixed Asphalt regularly, as 30% of all paving projects nationwide are constructed with WMA.
Warm-Mixed Asphalt is better for the environment, as it uses fewer additives, including wax and emulsions used in Hot-Mixed Asphalt for easier pouring and spreading at low temperatures. However, because of the additives used in Warm-Mixed Asphalt, it is about $3 to $5 more per ton than traditional Hot-Mixed Asphalt, which can be a turnoff because of the sheer amount of material necessary in paving and roadwork. Yet, with the benefit of being able to spread and place Warm-Mixed Asphalt in cold weather, it essentially pays for itself by the end of the job.
Warm-Mix Asphalt. (n.d.). Eapa.Org. Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://www.eapa.org/warm-mix-asphalt
Warm-Mix Asphalt. (n.d.-b). Https://Www.Sciencedirect.Com. Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/warm-mix-asphalt