What is hot rolled asphalt?

Roads and highways: Used for new construction and resurfacing on everything from local roads to major routes, carrying cars, HGVs and buses all day long.

Car parks and yards: Common in supermarket, retail and industrial parking areas where you need a stable surface that stands up to turning and loading.

Runways and airfields: Used on runways, taxiways and aprons where a tough, flexible surface is needed under landing and turning aircraft.

Driveways and paths: Often used for driveways, pavements, cycleways and shared paths to give a smooth, clean finish that is easy to look after.

Repairs and heavy-duty areas: Put to work on pothole repairs and in busy yards and industrial sites where HGVs and machinery are on the move all day.

HRA (hot rolled asphalt) and SMA (stone mastic asphalt) are both tough asphalt mixes, but they are built and used differently.

HRA is a dense, heavy-duty surface that’s built to cope with big traffic volumes and lots of turning, so it’s often used where the loading is highest. SMA is usually picked where you want a quieter surface with extra texture and grip, for example, on certain main roads or junctions.

In the end, it comes down to what the job needs – traffic levels, location and any spec you must work to – and the designer will choose the mix that best fits that brief.

Hot asphalt is simply the go-to material when you need a hard-wearing, smooth surface that will take a lot of use without breaking up. You’ll see it most on roads, car parks and other busy paved areas because it goes down quickly, carries heavy traffic, and, if it’s laid properly, will last for years.