What is an Asphalt Plant

What is an asphalt plant? The asphalt plant, likewise named asphalt concrete mixing plant or asphalt mixing plant or asphalt mix plant, is a completed set of equipment that mixes the bitumen, mineral powder and aggregates in various particles to manufacture the asphalt mix. The asphalt plant is mostly applied to these road constructions of highways, tunnels, bridges, jumbo airports, parking lots, municipal roads, etc.

There exists two categories of asphalt mixing plant according to the mixing technology: the asphalt batch plant and the asphalt drum plant. From the prospective of mobility, the asphalt plant can be divided into two types: stationary asphalt plant and mobile bitumen plant. Next, this post will explain what is an asphalt plant and the types of asphalt plant.

Asphalt Batch Plant

The asphalt batch plant refers to the plant that produces the asphalt mix in batches. And you can say that the production is intermittent or incontinuous. There is an interval between batches. The finished time of each batch is 45-60 seconds.
The asphalt batch plant has the advantages of accurate weighing, high grade batching, premium asphalt mixture and better dust collecting effect. What’s more, you can adjust the formula of all ingredients to a proper proportion according to the standard of construction project.

How does an asphalt batch plant work? The description is written as the following sentences.

The cold aggregates with different particle sizes are discharged into the corresponding cold feeder bin through the loader, and then fall onto the horizontal belt conveyor through the cold feeder bin door. After the initial measurement via the batching machine, they are sent to the drying drum by the inclined belt conveyor. Then the cold aggregate is heated and dewatered in the drying drum, it is transported to the vibrating screen by the hot material elevator.

The vibrating screen screens the hot aggregates of different sizes, and then the hot aggregates are stored in the temporary hot storage bin. Next the hot aggregate being weighed again, together with liquid asphalt and additives, is sent to the mixer for mixing, and the finished asphalt mixture finally stored in the finished product silo or directly unloaded into the transport vehicle.

Asphalt Drum Plant

The asphalt drum plant, also called continuous asphalt plant is the plant that manufactures the asphalt mixture in a continuous way. The drying and heating of cold aggregates and mixing of mixture take place in the drying drum. Compared with the asphalt batch plant, the asphalt drum plant doesn’t have vibrating scree, mixing host and hot material elevator.

The asphalt drum plant is featured by compact structure, enough flexibility, fast installation and relocation, good trafficability and low capital investment and maintenance cost. It’s widely used for the developing areas especially the town and rural areas. If you need abundant asphalt concrete with average quality in a short time, the asphalt drum is the priority.

The working principle of asphalt drum plant is described here. After the initial measurement and weighing, the cold aggregates with different particle sizes are transported to the drying drum by the inclined belt conveyor. The first half of the mixing drum is heated to remove water, and then mixed with the weighed hot asphalt and powder in the second half of the drying drum to produce finished asphalt mixture. Finally, the cold aggregates are transported to the temporary finished product silo by the hot material elevator for storage, waiting for the transport vehicle to transport.

Stationary Asphalt Plant

The stationary asphalt plant refers to the plant that produces the asphalt mix in a fixed place for long term. And the asphalt plant usually covers a fairly large construction site and it’s different to move. The advantages of stationary asphalt plant are stable production, on-site production, and it saves the transportation cost of the finished materials. It’s suitable for the medium and large scale construction project.

Mobile Asphalt Plant

The mobile asphalt plant is the plant which is equipped with wheels and can move from one construction site to another. All components are modular design and they are independent from each other.

The mobile asphalt plant is featured by modular design, fast installation and transportation, low transportation and maintenance cost, less foundation, good trafficability and applicability and fully automatic control. It is mainly applicable to these projects such as the county-rural roads, low grade highways, road maintenance and mountainous highways.