Asphalt is an important part of the United States. We are a nation that loves our cars and reveres the idea of the open road and roadtrips. That particular American dream does not exist without asphalt. In fact, it is estimated that 90-95% of all roads in America are paved with asphalt. This week, join us as we begin exploring the long and storied history of asphalt and asphalt paving in the United States. A special thank you to the National Asphalt Pavement Association, who provided the history information for this article.
What’s In A Name?
Asphalt has gone by many different names over the years. In order to make sure you always understand what we’re talking about, let’s go through the list.
- Asphalt pavement
- Blacktop
- Tarmac
- Macadam
- Plant Mix
- Asphalt Concrete
- Bituminous Concrete
Ancient Uses
Babylon boasts the first recorded case of an asphalt road circa 615 BCE. In fact, archaeologists have found multiple cuneiform references to bitumen. Research also shows that ancient Greeks had knowledge of asphalt. Researchers tracked how the Greeks passed the information on to the Romans through linguistics. Soon after its introduction, the Romans latched onto asphalt, and used it as a sealant for baths, aqueducts, and reservoirs.
Spontaneous Discoveries
It took quite a while for Europeans and Americans to discover just how useful asphalt is. However, asphalt occurs naturally in both asphalt lakes as well as a mixture known as rock asphalt. Throughout the centuries, European explorers, such as Sir Walter Raleigh, stumbled upon natural asphalt deposits. They considered the substance rather handy for patching up boats, but did not pay much attention to it otherwise.
‘Tarmacadam’
Tarmacadam is the European predecessor to modern American asphalt. The tarmacadam substance originated in Scotland thanks to John Loudon McAdam. McAdam was the appointed trustee of a Scottish turnpike, and he wanted to make the perfect surface to drive on. After teaching himself some basic engineering (as you do), he settled on a gravel-like crushed rock. The only issue with that road was the amount of dust and debris created by the vehicles that drove on it. To prevent those issues, workers poured hot tar over the stones to keep them bonded together. Early pavers referred to the crushed stone and tar concoction as tarmacadam.
Coming To America
Bituminous paving arrived in America mid-19th century, and really took off in the 1870s thanks to Edmund J. DeSmedt. DeSmedt was a Belgian chemist who was inspired by the asphalt portions of European highways. The first asphalt road in America? A portion of road in front of City Hall in Newark, New Jersey. DeSmedt was pretty good at paving – he would ultimately be the person to pave Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C.
Join Us Next Week
For more information about the history of asphalt.