Asphalt pavements are a mixture of rocks (called aggregates) and liquid asphalt (called asphalt cement or AC). The aggregates give the pavement structure and strength to stand up to traffic, and the asphalt is the adhesive binder that bonds the aggregates together and holds them in place on the pavement. Asphalt has unique elastic physical properties that allow it to flex and recover under traffic. Because of this, engineers call asphalt roads “flexible pavements,” and cement roads “rigid pavements.” Other than those common info, here are other facts about asphalt and asphalt pavements.