In the history of the development and expansion of human civilization, building passageways, street or roads had been one of the vital factors in the past that shaped the course of access and progress of a lot of kingdoms, empires and the like. Some good and not-so-good leaders in the past created a lot of these street or roads for the advancement of their commerce (or trade) or to facilitate conquering or dominating other societies. These main roads started as just flat, passable (either rocky or muddied) path to hard and very durable concrete or asphalt.

The Technology and Evolution of Roads

Concrete and asphalt roads are the common types of roads in highly urbanized places around the world. These kinds of pathways are very durable and provide safer trips for a lot of individuals. In constructing roads today, the asphalt is one of the primary ingredients. The size of a duo-drum asphalt plant transfer conveyor is said to be more or less thirty-six inches. A portable drum mixer asphalt plant can measure seven feet by thirty feet in terms of its size. Some of these asphalt plants has a capacity range of approximately 1360 kilograms or about 3000 pounds. On the other hand, modern asphalt plants can take a normal load of 2720 kilograms (or 6000 pounds) to a maximum load capacity of 12000 pounds depending on the size of the asphalt plant itself.

Utilization of Asphalt in the Past

Believe it or not, the asphalt's attributes were being used to process embalming or mummifying process. This goes very true in the old time Persia where asphalt was a part of the preserving the dead. As a matter of fact, the Persian term for asphalt is 'moom' which undeniably, a very closely-related word to the modern English word 'mummy'. The Middle East of the old times harnessed these naturally occurring substances to create or make cement carvings. Other than these artistic expressions, asphalt was also used for waterproofing and ship caulking as well. In early Europe, these asphalt stuffs were used for lining of cisterns, creating or building flat roofs and for constructing pavements. According to some earliest accounts, asphalt was also used for granaries to make them resist air. In the ancient United States, the Chumash and Tongva civilizations used these asphalt materials as adhesive or bonding agent. In fact, some ceremonial items and artifacts of tools were said to be made of asphalt.