The laying asphalt mixes (sometimes wrongly called tarmac)
is a specialized and very particular activity within public works
and is an important phase of the Calais Port 2015 project.
The product is expensive, very hot (about 130°C) and the quality of its application depends on the care taken with preparing the supporting soil. It is worth mentioning that the final result in this field has a strong influence on the general assessment of a construction site as asphalt mixes are a significant visible part of the work.
The means used to lay asphalt mixes are manual or mechanical depending on the tonnage required. With 700,000 square meters of asphalt to be poured over roads, the Calais Port 2015 asphalt mixing site is mechanical and uses compactors and pavers, even sometimes two machines in operation at the same time. A total of 300,000 tons of these products will have been required, 20% of which are recycled asphalt from the deconstructed Hoverport.
