In road and roof construction terminology, “plastic asphalt” most commonly refers to which of the following? Choose the best practical definition for civil engineering works.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: A waterproofing layer over roofs made from asphalt with fillers to achieve a plastic, trowelable consistency.

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Bituminous materials appear in many forms: cutbacks, emulsions, mastic, plastic asphalt, and more. Distinguishing these helps select the right material for waterproofing, patching, or paving applications.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • “Plastic asphalt” should indicate a compound that is workable by trowel and maintains plasticity for placement.
  • Roof waterproofing often uses asphalt with mineral fillers and fibers to create a dense, impervious layer.


Concept / Approach:

Plastic asphalt is essentially asphalt combined with suitable mineral fillers (and sometimes fibers/plasticizers) to produce a plastic, workable mass used as a roofing or waterproofing layer and for patch repairs. It differs from mastic asphalt mainly by formulation and application specifics but sits in the same family of dense, low-void, trowel-applied mixes.


Step-by-Step Solution:

1) Identify use-case: waterproofing/repair layers that require plastic workability.2) Exclude cement–asphalt mixtures; these are incompatible binders and not standard.3) Natural asphalt is a raw source, not the practical product term intended here.4) “Refinery product” is too broad to define plastic asphalt.


Verification / Alternative check:

Construction manuals list plastic/mastic asphalt for roofing and waterproofing where a jointless, impermeable layer is desired.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Portland cement with asphalt does not make standard plastic asphalt. Natural asphalt is unmodified source material. Generic refinery description and epoxy–bitumen hybrids are not standard definitions here.


Common Pitfalls:

Confusing plastic asphalt with asphalt emulsion or hot mix asphalt; each has different composition and use cases.


Final Answer:

A waterproofing layer over roofs made from asphalt with fillers to achieve a plastic, trowelable consistency.

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