Have you ever wondered how concrete and asphalt are made? We are surrounded by it every day, everywhere we go. The processes of making asphalt and concrete both involve a series of steps that, if done well, produce a durable, high-quality product that can be used to build roads, parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks. Let’s take a closer look at how Avail Valley Construction takes raw materials and makes them into construction material at our very own batch plants.
Step 1: Gathering Virgin Materials
The process begins with mining and gathering Virgin Materials, like gravel, sand, stone, and cement. These raw materials are the backbone of asphalt and concrete production. Each material is carefully selected to ensure that it’s the right consistency, strength, and durability.
Step 2: Crushing and Sizing
The first place the virgin material goes is the Crusher. This machine breaks down large chunks of rock into small uniform sizes. Proper sizing is crucial for the final product because it determines how well the material will perform. When it comes out of the crusher, the result is Plant Mix and material to wash for concrete.
Step 3: Drying the Material in the Hot Plant
After crushing, the materials are sent to the Hot Plant. After going through a sophisticated conveyor system, the material enters the dryer to remove any moisture. Heating and drying is essential to creating asphalt, and it is closely monitored to meet industry standards.
Step 4: Mixing the Asphalt
Once the material has gone through the dryer, oil is added to create asphalt. The mixture is heated to 300 degrees and carefully monitored to ensure great consistency and quality in every batch. Once that is complete, the asphalt is ready to be loaded into trucks and used in paving roads, parking lots, and more.
Step 5: Prepping for Concrete at the Wash Plant
While making Plant Mix, there is extra leftover material that is a different size and consistency. Not only is it great to recycle this material, but it’s also what we use for Wash Plant Feedstock, which is a key ingredient in concrete. This Feedstock is first sent to run through the Wash Plant. The purpose of the Wash Plant is to make material for concrete, septic systems, and pipe bedding.
Step 6: Mixing the Concrete
When the material has gone through the Wash Plant, it’s sent to the Batch Plant. Aggregate that just came from the Wash Plant is mixed with rock and sand. It’s weighed to make sure a precise and durable concrete is made. The finished concrete is then loaded into trucks for delivery.
Asphalt Paving Services in Idaho and Wyoming
Batch plants are designed to maximize efficiency and sustainability. By integrating recycling practices and precise quality control, these plants play a crucial role in modern construction projects, from driveways to highways. Avail Valley Construction is dedicated to high-quality concrete production and deliver out of Star Valley and asphalt paving for residential or commercial areas. Contact us for your construction needs, whether you need road paving or custom crushed aggregates!