If you’ve ever tried to keep a long driveway or access track in shape, you’ll know that all it takes is a few weeks of rain or a bit of traffic, and suddenly you’re back out there having to shovel loads of metal.
That’s one of the reasons recycled asphalt has become such a popular option in New Zealand construction. Holding together better than loose material, you can use road millings for driveways, access roads, yard surfaces, and anywhere where cost and efficiency are factors.
At Rock & Rubble, we supply recycled road millings to a lot of clients across Auckland and Tauranga, and recommend them for a wide range of projects. If you’re facing another winter of topping up washed-out surfaces, you might want to give them a try too.
Here’s what you need to know.
What Are Road Millings?
Road millings are recycled asphalt taken from existing road surfaces during resurfacing work. When contractors upgrade or repair a road, specialised machines remove the top layer of asphalt, which is then processed, and reused for other projects.
Because it’s already been compacted and bound with bitumen, recycled asphalt tends to knit together again after another spread and roll. That’s why it’s such a popular choice on New Zealand construction and civil projects; not only is it affordable and sustainable, but it speeds up the process of laying new surfaces.
Check out our Road Millings video to see it in action on-site across NZ projects.
Where Road Millings Are Used
You’ll find road millings used on all sorts of projects across the country. We deliver to a lot of rural Bay of Plenty properties, where they’re great for replacing loose gravel on long driveways and farm tracks.
In Auckland, we see a lot more use on construction sites, where millings are used for temporary access roads on subdivisions and the like. Being low-cost but hard-wearing, they make stable routes for trucks and machinery working on site.
Outside of roading, they’re also common in carparks and industrial yards because the material compacts down well to create a surface strong enough to deal with traffic and machinery.
Why Contractors Use Road Millings
There’s no two ways about it, the main reason road millings are used is because they’re relatively cheap. The production costs were passed on to the first person who bought the asphalt, which means by the time it gets to you, it’s much more affordable.
Road millings are also great for compacting. When spread and rolled well, the surface will lock together and shed water reasonably well, which is great in New Zealand conditions. And the more it’s used, the more it’s compacted.
On projects where sustainability is a factor, it’s the obvious choice. Reusing recycled road materials reduces landfill waste and makes better use of limited resources.
So, whether the decision is influenced by price, performance or the planet, road millings tend to be a top choice for NZ construction and civil works.
Aggregate Delivery and On-Site Support
Rock & Rubble provides bulk delivery of road millings using a fleet of tipper trucks and dump trucks suited to construction and landscaping projects. From rural blocks to urban subdivisions, we’ll deliver what you need, where you need it.
Need help with spreading and compaction? We can even supply operator-supported machinery to get the job done.
Learn more about our aggregate supply and transport options.
Why Work With Rock & Rubble?
With experience supplying construction materials across Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, Rock & Rubble knows what works for local conditions. We don’t just load and deliver, we can also give you a steer on the right materials for the job, helping contractors, landscapers, and property owners get the best result from their order.
If you’re planning a driveway, access road, or yard surface and think road millings might be worth a look, get in touch with our team, and we’ll talk you through it.