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Smooth surfaces: Visit a P.E.I. asphalt plant to see how pavement is made

Ever wonder how asphalt is made? We take you inside a P.E.I. asphalt plant to see how gravel, sand and oil — and a whole lot of heat, are mixed together to make smooth pavement.

More than 8,000 tonnes of hot asphalt were made for Charlottetown runway expansion

Pat Martel · CBC News ·

Smooth surfaces: Visit a P.E.I. asphalt plant to see how pavement is made

7 years ago
Duration 0:51
Smooth surfaces: Visit a P.E.I. asphalt plant to see how pavement is made

The asphalt plant in Ebenezer, P.E.I., looks like a fire-breathing dragon nestled in the rolling green hills, spewing a tall plume of white smoke into the blue sky.

"People like driving on asphalt on the roads so I guess they shouldn't say much about where the plant is," said foreman Wayne Chaisson, who has worked for Chapman Bros. Construction for 44 years.

With trucks coming and going all day, and a huge oil burner heating up the asphalt, the noise is deafening — like a jet taking off.

Peering through his office window, Chaisson can monitor process of making asphalt.

'Get the right mix'

"Just watch the material going in," said Chaisson. "Make sure the right amounts going into the plant, make sure the burner stays on and get the right mix and the right temperature."

From his office trailer, foreman Wayne Chaisson monitors the asphalt-making process. The plant in Ebenezer, P.E.I., fires up in mid-May and runs until late November. (Pat Martel/CBC)

The process begins with the arrival of dump trucks hauling crushed stone, gravel, and sand — 95 per cent of the ingredients used to make hot mix pavement.

Dozens of dump trucks come and go throughout the day. The Ebenezer, P.E.I., plant operates from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Pat Martel/CBC)

Into the mouth of the dragon

The material is then carried along conveyor belts and sprayed with oil to hold everything together.

A conveyor belt carries the asphalt mixture to the giant oil burner. It takes about three minutes for the mixture to go from raw materials to hot pavement. (Pat Martel/CBC)

The conveyor belt carries the mix into the orange flames of the huge burner.  

"It's about 300 degrees [Farenheit]," said Chaisson. "It heats all the material and stuff up so the liquid asphalt will stick to it."

The asphalt plant in Ebenezer, P.E.I., is on a dirt road about 2 km from the nearest neighbour. There are no utility poles leading to the plant since it operates entirely on generators. (Pat Martel/CBC)

The hot asphalt is then dumped into waiting trucks.

Chaisson said it takes about three minutes from the time the asphalt goes into the hopper to when it lands on the truck.

The asphalt, more than 8500 tonnes, was still hot when it arrived at the job site at the Charlottetown airport.

More efficient than 44 years ago

The process of making asphalt hasn't changed much since Chaisson's first day on the job 44 years ago.

More than 8,500 tonnes of asphalt were used to pave the runway expansion at the Charlottetown airport. (Pat Martel/CBC)

What has changed, though is how much more efficient the operation has become.

Chaisson now uses a computer in his trailer to make sure the mix and the heat are just right .

"Back years ago, you were probably putting out 30 or 50 tonnes an hour whereas today you could probably put out 325 tonnes if you want."

Now that the airport job is complete, the asphalt plant in Ebenezer has moved on to its next job — paving parking lots at UPEI. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pat Martel

Former CBC journalist

Pat Martel worked as a journalist with CBC P.E.I. for three decades, mostly with Island Morning where he was a writer-broadcaster and producer. He retired in Oct. 2019.

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