Asphalt is made by mixing aggregate with bitumen, while concrete is made by mixing aggregate with cement. Asphalt is black and sticky, while concrete is gray and rock-like. Asphalt is used for roads and roofing, while concrete is used for a variety of purposes. Asphalt is technically a form of concrete, but the two are distinguished by their binding agents.
Asphalt and concrete are two commonly used building materials around the world. The main difference between the two is that asphalt is made by mixing aggregate with bitumen, a sticky black hydrocarbon that is mined from natural deposits or crude oil. Concrete is made by mixing an aggregate material with a cement binder and then allowing the mix to harden, forming a rock-like substance. Asphalt and concrete are used for various construction activities, ranging from roofing to sidewalks.
If you want to get really technical, asphalt is actually a form of concrete, as “cement” really means any mixture of an aggregate and a binder that sets after curing. This is why you may have heard engineers refer to “asphalt concrete,” which means “a type of concrete made with bitumen as a binder.” However, most laymen use “cement” to specifically refer to a mix of aggregate with a binding cement, and for the purposes of this article, we’ll use this difference to distinguish between asphalt and concrete.
When asphalt is made, a company mixes the bitumen with rocks or other aggregate material that is ground to roughly the same size. The resulting composite material is black to brown in color and very sticky due to the bitumen. Once the asphalt has been mixed, it can be rolled out onto roads and compacted with the use of a steam roller, or used to coat shingles and other building materials. Once the asphalt has cured, it is a smooth, firm, water resistant coating. Asphalt is classically used to make asphalt, the material used to cover playgrounds and many roads.
To make concrete, aggregate materials are mixed with a cement binder. Cements include minerals such as limestone and gypsum which will harden into a solid when mixed with water and allowed to harden. Concrete can vary in texture, appearance and use depending on the type of aggregate used; the most common choice of cement is Portland cement, a binder that has been used for hundreds of years. Concrete can be poured into molds for a wide variety of purposes; many older roads are paved with concrete, although asphalt is the material of choice for modern road surfaces.
An easy way to remember the difference between asphalt and concrete is that asphalt is usually black to brown in color and can have a characteristic bitumen-like texture and smell, especially on hot days, while concrete is grayish in color and looks like more rock. If you are a hair splitting fan and the topic of asphalt and concrete comes up, feel free to inform people that asphalt is actually concrete.
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