Patent ID: 7114843

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a bituminous coated aggregate mix comprising aggregate coated with bitumen, said aggregate itself comprising fine aggregate and coarse aggregate lying in the range 4 mm to 20 mm, said method comprising at least the following steps: (a) drying a first portion of the aggregate that has substantially no fines by heating to a temperature which is not less than 100° C., (b) an intermediate mix is formed by coating said first portion of the aggregate with hot bitumen; and (c) mixing a second portion of the aggregate that comprises sand and fines that is wet and unheated with the intermediate mix obtained at step (b), thereby obtaining said bituminous coated aggregate mix at a temperature lying in the range 60° C. to 100° C., and whereby at least part of the water contained in the second portion of the aggregate is vaporized during said step (c) and causes the bitumen to expand.