If you’ve ever seen a road resurfacing crew at work, you’ll have seen the machines scraping up the old surface before the new one goes down. This material doesn’t get thrown away – it’s collected and processed into a recycled material known as ‘road planings’.
Road planings, also known as ‘tarmac planings’ are pieces of reclaimed asphalt, milled from the top of existing roads, car parks, and similar surfaces during resurfacing work. They vary in size, but most of the time they appear as flat, irregular chips of compacted tarmac.
While they’re not the most aesthetic aggregate on the market, they’ve gradually become a go-to for all kinds of groundwork projects. Let’s talk about what they’re made of, what they can be used for, and whether they’re the right fit for your next job.
What are road planings made of?
Put simply, road planings are made up of reclaimed asphalt. When a road or car park gets resurfaced, the top layer is milled off using specialist machinery before the new surface goes down. That milled material becomes the end product.
The exact composition varies depending on the age of the road, and when it was last surfaced. Most planings are a mixture of aggregates, stone and bitumen (the black, tar-like binding agent that holds everything together). Older planings may also contain trace amounts of other materials picked up during the milling process.
What are they used for?
Road planings can compact down well and lock together under traffic, so they’re able to work in a range of projects where strength and durability is key. Here are some of their common uses:
Private driveways – Particularly on rural properties, planings can bed in quickly, handle vehicle traffic well, and cost considerably less than new tarmac or block paving. They won’t give you the same finish as a dressed surface, but for a hardwearing, practical driveway, they do the job well.
Farm tracks and rural access routes – Farm tracks can take a beating from heavy machinery and need a surface that can handle it without constant maintenance. Planings compact into a solid surface that withholds through regular use.
Construction site roads and hardstandings – Temporary site roads and hardstandings need to be quick to lay, and available for use, from day one. Planings tick both boxes, and as they’re a recycled material, using them on a temporary basis makes good practical and environmental sense.
Car parks – For informal or overflow car parking, planings offer a cost effective surface that drains reasonably well and handles regular vehicle movement without breaking up.
The pros and cons
Road planings may be versatile, but they’re not a one size fits all material. It’s worth knowing where they work well and where they don’t, before you commit.
Where they work well
As a recycled aggregate, road planings are hard to beat when it comes to cost. They’re far cheaper than virgin aggregates or dressed surfaces, which makes them a strong choice for larger areas where budget matters.
They compact and bind well under traffic. The more they get used, the more they bed in, which means a farm track or site road actually improves with use rather than breaking up.
They’re also very quick to lay. There’s no long curing time or waiting around, so surfaces are usable almost straight away.
Where they have limitations
Planings aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing material to choose from. If you’re looking for a neat, finished surface on a front driveway or a commercial entrance, a dressed material is likely the better fit.
For load bearing applications or adoptable roads, planings won’t meet the required specification. Those jobs need engineered materials.
Are they right for my project?
If you need a hardwearing, cost effective surface that needs to withstand heavy car traffic, planings are well worth considering. If appearance is a priority, or the surface needs to meet a formal specification, a different material is probably going to serve you better.
Road planings and the environment
Road planings are a byproduct of resurfacing work. Without a use for them, that material heads to landfill. Choosing planings salvages that material and puts it back to work instead.
By reusing existing materials, you’re reducing demand for quarrying and processing virgin aggregates. This means less energy, less extraction, and less waste.
At Gamble Plant, we aim to give a second life to material if it means keeping it away from landfill. Road planings are a good example of that in practice.
They’re not the right choice for every job, but when they are the right fit, you’re getting a practical, cost effective material that’s also the more environmentally considered option. Not a bad combination.
Get road planings delivered to your site
Once you’re ready to order road planings from Gamble Plant, get in touch with the team, let us know what you’re working on and we’ll help you figure out the right quantity and arrange delivery to your site.
We deliver across Norfolk and are open to discussing jobs further afield too. Planings are supplied by the tonne, so if you’re not sure how much you need, give us a rough idea of the area you’re covering and we can point you in the right direction.
You can also order online. We offer an increasing discount on orders over five tonnes, so it’s worth ordering for multiple or larger products if you need to.
All of our planings are screened and crushed to ensure the best quality, so what arrives to you is quality, graded material ready to lay.
If you’re ready to go, give us a call on 01328 862659, drop us a message or head online to place your order.
