Why does newly paved asphalt sound so much quieter when driving over it?
In: Engineering
Asphalt is essentially made of three things rock, sand, and oil. The sand helps fill the space between the rock and the oil binds everything together.
When initially laid down and compacted an asphalt surface can be fairly smooth. However with time the sand and oil wear away leaving more exposed rock and a rougher surface that causes more noise when driven on.
Source: I worked on an asphalt road crew for 2 years.
Latest Answers