Asphalt accounts for almost 2 million miles of pavement in the U.S. laid by paving services, according to CNBC. Even though we drive and walk over this material just about every day, most people don't know that much about asphalt or its history. Asphalt is actually not a new invention, but rather has been used as far back as the 18th century, according to Connect2Local. Let's look at a brief history of asphalt paving and how it has influenced road engineering.

What Asphalt Is

This type of pavement consists of a sticky, black liquid that is actually found naturally. In its natural state, asphalt is in a concentrated form. It's often found in lakes. It develops when the remains of ancient algae mix with the mud collected at the bottom of a lake. When pressure is applied, this substance transforms into asphalt. It can be used in its natural state or it can be refined and used by paving services.

Its Early Use

It's recorded that the Greeks used this substance for road building. It was called, “asphaltos.” This Greek word means to make firm or secure. Throughout history, asphalt has been used to caulk and waterproof buildings and used for paving roads nowadays.

Its Use for Modern Road Building

Although the Greeks saw the road-building potential in asphalt early on, it was still a long time before asphalt was a go-to road material. Sometime around the start of the 1800s, road builders decided to start adding tar to the top of stone roads to prevent the shifting of the materials. This was the earliest use of tarmac. Soon after the advent of tarmac, asphalt began to show up as a common road-building material as well. In the U.S. specifically, it wasn't until the government decided to utilize asphalt for maintained roadways that the material really started to gain in popularity.

Its Sustainability

There is a stigma surrounding the construction and laying of more and more roads and asphalt spaces, but in reality, asphalt is a surprisingly sustainable material. Asphalt has been found to be very easily recyclable. Today, asphalt is considered the most recycled material in America, according to Business Insider.

If you're in need of paving services, then please reach out to us today to schedule an appointment with our team. At Lee & Sons Paving LLC, we offer dependable services for those in the area. Give us a call today to get a free estimate.