Asphalt

A seamless landscaping texture with a footpath surface. The image represents a physical area of 1799 x 2233 mm (70.8 x 87.9 inches) in total.

A cost effective, highly durable and weather-sealed surface used almost exclusively in engineering projects, aggregate asphalt is renowned for its grip, extremely hard-wearing nature and heavy load-bearing qualities. A derivative of Tarmacadam, an innovation of the compacted stone Macadam surfaces invented in the 1820s by Scottish engineer John McAdam to provide a smooth, easy to construct paving surface, Welsh engineer Edgar Hooley added tar to seal the roads when laying, to prevent wear and dust. As motor cars became more common, it was imperative to provide a surface which could simultaneously withstand sustained, heavy use while remaining smooth to prevent puncturing tyres. With the growing use of oil, bitumen, a naturally occurring byeproduct of oil, replaced tar as the surface sealant. Combining layers of compacted mineral aggregate particles with the bitumen binds and waterproofs the surface, binding together more solidly over time. Higher quality grades of aggregate typically translate to longer lasting surfaces with less road noise than cheaper, poorer surfaces, while increasing grip, breaking efficiency and safety for foot and vehicular traffic and reducing tyre wear. Asphalt can also be easily recycled and redeployed in new paving and roads. This particular aggregate asphalt has a light to moderate coarseness and somewhat worn finish with gaps between the aggregate chips in places. The rough, riven texture is suggestive of a ‘chip seal’ surface; a cheaper variant of asphalt laid, compacted and coated with bitumen to provide a weatherproofing seal. The less grippy use of bitumen is offset by the coarse grain of the asphalt surface, which will provide grip although may have an oily sheen when wet due to the higher than normal bitumen content. The aggregate is laid randomly, compacted and bound with a gunmetal grey bituminous layer, giving a consistent silver grey appearance, adding to the depth of the relief between darker and lighter peaks and troughs.

This image is seamless, meaning it can be tiled repeatedly for use in architectural drawings and 3D models. It can be used as a SketchUp texture, Revit material or imported into Photoshop for use in 2D illustrations. You can download a high resolution version of this texture and a matching bump map or CAD hatch (compatible with AutoCAD and Revit) using Architextures Create with a Pro Subscription.