When it comes to road construction, understanding the difference between asphalt and bitumen is crucial. Some mistakenly assume they are synonymous, but technically, they’re distinct components.
Asphalt is a blend of aggregates, binder (bitumen), and sand. The aggregates can vary from crushed rock to sand, gravel, or slags. Meanwhile, bitumen is the liquid binder that holds the asphalt together. Often, people use the term bitumen when referring to asphalt.
Asphalt finds extensive use in various road types, from highways to local streets and driveways. However, in this article, our focus is on demystifying the process of calculating asphalt quantity and its associated cost for road construction.
To calculate the quantity of asphalt needed for a straight road:
Assume:
Length of road (L) = 5 km = 5000 m
Width of road (W) = 6 m
Thickness of asphalt (H) = 15 cm = 0.15 m
Quantity Of Asphalt Calculation:
Volume of asphalt=L×W×HVolume of asphalt=L×W×H
=5000×6×0.15=4500 m3=5000×6×0.15=4500m3
Considering asphalt density as 2330 kg/m³:
Quantity of asphalt=Volume of asphalt×Density of asphaltQuantity of asphalt=Volume of asphalt×Density of asphalt
=4500×2330=10485000 kg=10485 tons=4500×2330=10485000kg=10485tons
Cost of asphalt:
Assuming the cost of 1 ton of asphalt is 6000 rs.
Cost of asphalt=10485×6000=62910000 rsCost of asphalt=10485×6000=62910000rs
Handling Curved Roads
For roads with curves, additional considerations come into play:
Assume:
Width of road (W) = 6 m
Thickness of asphalt (H) = 15 cm = 0.15 m
Length of curved road =π×R×θ180=3.14×10×100180=17.44 m=180π×R×θ=1803.14×10×100=17.44m
Volume of asphalt for curved road:
=Length×Width×Thickness=Length×Width×Thickness
=17.44×6×0.15=15.696 m3=17.44×6×0.15=15.696m3
Quantity of asphalt for curved road=Volume of asphalt×Density of asphaltQuantity of asphalt for curved road=Volume of asphalt×Density of asphalt
=15.696×2330=36558 kg=36.55 tons=15.696×2330=36558kg=36.55tons
Cost of asphalt:
Using the assumed cost of 1 ton of asphalt as 6000 rs.
Cost of asphalt=36.55×6000=219300 rsCost of asphalt=36.55×6000=219300rs
For areas with irregular shapes, divide them into regularly-shaped sections. Calculate the volume and asphalt requirements for each section using the above method. Finally, sum up these quantities to get the total asphalt needed.
