Gallagher Asphalt paving Joliet Speedway

Versatile

In addition to highways, asphalt is best for parking lots, and for such specialized applications as airports, racetracks, bike trails/golf cart paths, tennis courts, and running tracks.

Parking Lots. Asphalt is an economical, environmentally friendly, fast-to-construct material for parking lots. About 85 percent of the parking lots in the U.S. are asphalt.

Airports. Busy commercial airports such as Baltimore-Washington International, Oakland International, San Francisco International, McCarran (Las Vegas), Pearson International (Toronto), and Logan International (Boston) have main runways surfaced with asphalt. Boston Logan's airport has paved a runway with warm-mix asphalt, making it one of the greenest airports in the world. Asphalt is also used on 85 percent of the runways at general aviation airports. Asphalt's speed of construction makes it an ideal choice for rehabilitation of busy aviation facilities.

Race tracks. Asphalt pavements provide smooth driving surfaces combined with the excellent traction demanded by professional stock car racing. Of the 33 NASCAR race tracks across the country, 31 are paved with asphalt. Of the 88 race tracks listed for the NASCAR Short Track series, 64 are asphalt, 21 are dirt or clay, and only three are concrete.

NASCAR tracks have their own unique personalities and character. They have a wide variety of lengths, banking, angles and shapes. The banked turns range from 12 to 36 degrees. Most tracks are oval shaped but there are also quad-and tri-ovals, D-shaped layouts and road courses. At racing speeds, drivers need a smooth surface, and asphalt pavements can be built to smoothness standards unmatched by other surface types. Asphalt allows designers to customize mixes not only for smoothness, but also to fit specific conditions and needs. By carefully selecting the right aggregates and asphalt binder, the designer can develop an asphalt mix that meets all of the track's performance needs.