THE HONG KONG International Airport runway, the world's longest suspension bridge, Tsing Ma Bridge, and the spaghetti-like road networks - these all have something in common. They are paved with asphalt.
The city's four dominant asphalt manufacturers are Pioneer Asphalts (Hong Kong), Anderson Asphalt, Asphalt Surfaces (International) and Tarmac Asphalt Hong Kong, and they produce about 1 million tonnes of asphalt a year, according to Gabriel Cheung, director of Pioneer Asphalts. The four companies comprise the Asphalt and Macadam Association of Hong Kong.
About 80 per cent of Hong Kong roads were made of asphalt, said Hung Wing-tat, a professor with the civil and structural engineering department at Polytechnic University. The remaining roads are made of concrete. Hong Kong has about 2,000km of roads, according to the Highways Department.
Asphalt is widely used because of its outstanding waterproof, non-slip and easy-to-maintain properties, and its lifespan is an impressive 15 years. Asphalt is used for other purposes, too, including roofing, but road building is by far its greatest use.
Producing asphalt and constructing roads is big business in Hong Kong. The industry's turnover is estimated at HK$600 million to HK$700 million a year.
Pioneer Asphalts was recently involved in constructing the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor and Route 8, major road projects by the Highways Department, which cost more than HK$100 million.