FAQ

Q: What is Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)?

Asphalt pavement refers to any paved road, parking lot or area surfaced with Hot Mix Asphalt. Hot Mix Asphalt is a combination of approximately 95% stone, sand, or gravel bound together with asphalt cement, the black liquid that is a derivative of crude oil refining that is the binder or "glue" in the mixture.

Q: How is Hot Mix Asphalt made?

All of the components including the asphalt cement are heated to approximately 300-325 degrees Fahrenheit and mixed together at an asphalt facility such as the one shown in the first picture located in Scottsboro Al. Jackson Paving and Construction has three such facilities, the others are located in Guntersville and  Claysville.

The hot mix asphalt is then loaded in to trucks for transport to the job site. At the job site it is dumped in to the hopper located on the front of the paving machine or "spreader". The asphalt is placed and then compacted using heavy rollers which are driven over the asphalt.

Q: Can Hot Mix Asphalt be used for other things besides roads, parking lots and driveways?

Absolutely! HMA is ideal for walking trails, airport runways, running tracks, bicycle and golf cart paths, basketball and tennis courts. It can also be used to pave cattle feed lots, poultry house floors, barn floors, and greenhouse floors. Asphalt paving materials have been used to line the surfaces of everything from fish hatcheries to industrial retention ponds. For decades asphalt paving materials have been used as liners for water reservoirs.

Q: Is Hot Mix Asphalt safe for the environment?

Yes. Asphalt is basically an inert material which is not soluble or harmful in a water environment. Asphalt paving is a 100% recyclable product. In fact, asphalt pavement is Americas most recycled product. Approximately 80 million tons of HMA are recycled each year. If you added together all the newsprint, glass bottles, aluminum cans, magazines, and plastic containers recycled each year, (approx. 11 million tons) they would not come close to the amount of asphalt pavement recycled.

Q: How is old asphalt pavement recycled?

Old asphalt is planed or milled from old roadway surfaces, it is then ground and remixed with virgin or new materials for a product that is as good or better than brand new pavement. Hot Mix Asphalt pavement recycling not only conserves our precious natural resources, it also saves American taxpayers over $300 million a year.