Motoring Discussion > Diesel vs Tarmac Miscellaneous
Thread Author: zippy Replies: 11

 Diesel vs Tarmac - zippy
A diesel spill on the M25 near Reigate today means that the surface has to be relaid.

What does the diesel do to the tarmac?

 Diesel vs Tarmac - Bromptonaut
>> What does the diesel do to the tarmac?

Dissolves it I think. Tarmac may be generic term - maybe asphalt that's particularly susceptible.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 1 Nov 11 at 13:51
 Diesel vs Tarmac - Zero
Its dissolves the bitumen binder, makes it soft and crumbly.
 Diesel vs Tarmac - Alastairw
Feel free to ignore my duplicate question. Must read whole forum before posting in future.

Still, though, if diseasal is so damaging to roads should it not be banned from sale?
 Diesel vs Tarmac - CGNorwich
Petrol is a bad if not worse.
 Diesel vs Tarmac - Zero

> Petrol is a bad if not worse.

It is, if you can get it into the tarmac, but it doesn't, being light it runs away or evaporates on the surface. Diesel, being heavier, does neither, merely lays there soaking in.
 Diesel vs Tarmac - Meldrew
And the country's fleet of lorries would run on - what?
 Diesel vs Tarmac - Pat
I was thinking that Meldrew:)

I think we have an H&S inspector, you know, yellow Hi-Viz, hard hat, clipboard....it's dangerous we must ban it!

Pat

 Diesel vs Tarmac - andyfr
I have heard that road plannings (old asphalt) spread on a drive, lightly sprayed with diesel and then rolled with a vibrating roller makes a very hard surface, but I don't know how true it is.
 Diesel vs Tarmac - Cliff Pope
Probably true. Sprinkling paraffin on the crumbly bits was the traditional way of reviving an old tarmac drive.
 Diesel vs Tarmac - CGNorwich
Road planners spread on a drive, lightly sprayed with diesel and then rolled with a vibrating roller are even better
 Diesel vs Tarmac - MPZ
I was filling up one day when a Transit pick up with a load of the black stuff pulled in next to me.

One of the passengers jumped out, pulled the diesel pump as far out as it would go and sprayed diesel over the load. He got back in, no payment made and they drove off.

I always wondered that that was about - I suppose it had "set" and they we softening it up before laying someone's drive.
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