Asphalt tanks are core storage and thermal insulation equipment for road construction, responsible for asphalt storage, heating and constant temperature preservation. Rational matching of asphalt tanks with mixing plants and construction sites directly improves asphalt utilization efficiency, construction progress and road construction quality. This paper provides targeted matching schemes for asphalt tanks and mixing plants, as well as mobile application schemes for construction sites, adapting to the actual needs of road construction projects of different scales.

1 Core Matching Principles for Asphalt Tanks & Mixing Plants

The matching follows the principles of matching capacity, synchronous thermal insulation and efficient feeding, taking the hourly output of the mixing plant as the core index to avoid material shortage or excessive storage:

Capacity matching: For small and medium mixing plants (hourly output ≤80t), configure 50-100m³ vertical asphalt tanks (1-2 sets); for large mixing plants (hourly output 80-200t), match 100-300m³ horizontal asphalt tanks (2-3 sets) with parallel connection, ensuring asphalt storage meets 8-12h continuous production of the mixing plant.

Thermal insulation & heating matching: Adopt asphalt tanks with electric heating, coal heating or thermal oil heating according to the mixing plant's heating system, with the same heating temperature control standard (130-160℃ constant temperature), realizing synchronous thermal insulation and avoiding asphalt temperature difference affecting mixing quality.

Feeding system matching: Equip asphalt tanks with closed pipeline feeding systems, connect with the mixing plant's asphalt metering unit, and configure high-precision flow meters and temperature sensors to realize quantitative and constant temperature feeding, improving mixing efficiency and accuracy.

2 Asphalt Tank Matching Scheme for Mixing Plants

2.1 Fixed Matching for Stationary Mixing Plants

Configure horizontal insulated asphalt tanks with large capacity and stable performance, set up special asphalt storage area near the mixing plant, and design closed thermal insulation pipelines for connection:

Equipment configuration: Match double-layer insulated asphalt tanks with anti-corrosion inner lining and thermal insulation outer layer, configure automatic temperature control system and slag cleaning device, and equip with backup heating system to ensure non-stop heating in low temperature environment.

Advantages: Large storage capacity, good thermal insulation effect, automatic feeding and constant temperature, suitable for large-scale fixed road construction mixing plants, reducing manual operation and improving production efficiency.

2.2 Flexible Matching for Mobile Mixing Plants

Configure vertical small and medium capacity asphalt tanks with compact structure and easy installation, which can be flexibly placed near the mobile mixing plant and moved with the plant:

Equipment configuration: Adopt integrated asphalt tanks with built-in heating system and feeding pump, small floor area, quick installation and disassembly, and match with flexible thermal insulation hoses for feeding connection.

Advantages: Flexible and movable, small investment, suitable for small and medium-sized mobile mixing plants in rural road, municipal minor repair and other projects, adapting to the frequent transfer needs of construction sites.

3 Asphalt Tank Application Scheme for Construction Sites

Aiming at the characteristics of scattered construction points, long transportation distance and small asphalt demand of road construction sites, configure mobile asphalt tanks to realize on-site asphalt storage, constant temperature and direct feeding, solving the problem of asphalt temperature loss during transportation:

Small mobile asphalt tanks (10-50m³): For municipal road patching, rural road construction and other small sites, configure skid-mounted mobile asphalt tanks with wheeled design, which can be transported by trucks, equipped with independent heating and temperature control system, and realize on-site direct feeding for small-scale paving equipment.

Medium mobile asphalt tanks (50-100m³): For large road construction site sub-sections, set up temporary asphalt storage points, configure trailer-type mobile asphalt tanks, connect with on-site paving equipment through thermal insulation pipelines, ensure continuous asphalt supply, and match with the mixing plant's material supply rhythm.

Key supporting configuration: All mobile asphalt tanks are equipped with anti-leakage devices and dust-proof feeding ports, meeting the on-site environmental protection requirements; configure portable temperature detection instruments to realize real-time monitoring of asphalt temperature and ensure construction quality.

4 Universal Supporting & Optimization Measures

Unified material selection: Asphalt tanks for mixing plants and construction sites all adopt Q235 carbon steel with anti-corrosion treatment, double-layer thermal insulation structure (rock wool + aluminum silicate fiber), ensuring thermal insulation effect and service life.

Intelligent control: Equip asphalt tanks with intelligent temperature and level monitoring systems, connect with the mixing plant and construction site's control platform, realize real-time monitoring of asphalt temperature, storage capacity and feeding status, and realize remote alarm and control.

Daily maintenance matching: Formulate unified maintenance standards for asphalt tanks of mixing plants and construction sites, regularly clean tank bottom slag, inspect heating and thermal insulation systems, and replace damaged sealing parts to avoid asphalt leakage and temperature loss.

Transportation protection: For mobile asphalt tanks, add anti-vibration and anti-collision protection during transportation, and wrap the thermal insulation pipeline with protective layer to ensure the integrity of equipment and thermal insulation effect.

5 Conclusion

Reasonable matching of asphalt tanks with mixing plants and construction sites is the key to ensuring the smooth progress of road construction. Based on the project scale, mixing plant output and construction site characteristics, selecting the appropriate type, capacity and heating mode of asphalt tank, and adopting the matching scheme of "fixed large capacity for mixing plant, mobile small and medium capacity for construction site", can realize the efficient connection of asphalt storage, transportation, heating and feeding.

Combined with intelligent control and standardized maintenance, the matching application of asphalt tanks can further reduce asphalt waste, improve construction efficiency and ensure the constant temperature and quality of asphalt in the whole construction process, providing reliable equipment support for high-quality road construction.