Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA)

Essential surface course for high traffic roads

The Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) concept is based on a deformation-resilient asphalt mix for wearing courses with high coarse aggregate content, gap-grading, bitumen rich mortar (mastic) and stabilising additives as binder carriers. This leads to a self-supporting stone aggregate mixture.

The increased bitumen proportion is typical of asphalt mastic (mortar). This improves the ageing properties and wear resistance of the Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) surface course.

Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) is a high quality asphalt mortar of bitumen, sand, and filler with CFF cellulose fibre pellets acting as binder carriers to permanently bond the mineral substances.

Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) is available in different types according to the largest aggregate size, depending on load class, e.g. SMA 11, SMA 8 or SMA 5 (cf. TL Asphalt-StB 07/13 and ZTV Asphalt.-StB 07/13).

The surface texture of Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) improves the noise properties compared to concrete constructions or asphalt concrete layers. The resistance and extended service life of SMA benefits the maintenance costs during the life cycle of the road.

The installation of SMA courses benefits the following traffic areas:

  • traffic areas of all load classes, specifically motorways and interstates (cf. RStO 12)
  • areas with frequent braking and acceleration (crossings, bus stops)
  • slow and/or track-moving heavy-load traffic (truck or bus lanes)
  • areas affected from high temperatures

If you would like to learn more about the subject of asphalt and Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA)? Just call us or send us an e-mail.