We spend our lives walking across it, but does anyone know the origins of tarmac or its uses today. Laying tarmac originated from an anecdotal story and has continually proved to be one of the best developments of the 19th and 20th centuries. Nowadays laying tarmac has a variety of different uses from domestic to industrial and can be found all over the world.
It has developed and grown into new variations but it is the classic tarmac that is still known and recognised everywhere today.
The Birth Of Tarmac
Tarmac, or to give it its full name, tarmacadam is a road surface material that was invented by John Loudon McAdam in around 1820. Hence the namesake. His technique of adding crushed gravel as the top layer of a road changed the way roads were constructed for many years. Tarmac, as it is known today, was patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in around 1900.
This man saw a barrel of tar spill out onto the road, and a man who worked in the tar factory nearby placed crushed gravel on top in order to restore the road. Hooley realised that along this part of the road, the tar and gravel combination produced far less dust than before. He therein went on to patent the idea.
Variations Of Tarmac Today
Since the early days of laying tarmac, many new variations have emerged. Many new road surface materials use the same premise as the original Tarmac but now contain less tar.
Variations include:
- Bitumen Tarmac or ‘Bitmac’
- Asphalt
Uses Of Laying Tarmac
Tarmac nowadays has many different uses. The variations of tarmac can be used commercially, industrially or domestically. Laying tarmac as a new driveway is a far more common thing now than in the past and roads are constantly being resurfaced. This means that tarmac and its variations are in constant demand from homeowners and governments.
Do you need your driveway or commercial space tarmacked?
If you have been thinking about installing a new car park, or a fresh new driveway, why not think about laying tarmac? This sort of thing is best left to the professionals though, so we would recommend RM Kennedy & Sons for all of your tarmac laying needs. They have over 25 years of experience and have been laying tarmac and asphalt surfaces in roads, carparks and gardens for all of this time.