A close-up view of some freshly-laid tarmac.

Tarmac, a portmanteau for tar-penetration macadam, is a type of highway surface no longer commonly used. Tarmac was invented when E. Purnell Hooley was passing a tarworks in 1901. Image File history File links Closeup_photo_of_fresh_tarmac. ... Image File history File links Closeup_photo_of_fresh_tarmac. ... It has been suggested that blend (linguistics) be merged into this article or section. ... Tar is a viscous black liquid derived from the destructive distillation of organic matter. ... Macadam is a type of road construction pioneered by John Loudon McAdam in the early 1800s. ... This article is about the American English usage of pavement as the durable surfacing of roads and walkways. ... E. Purnell Hooley is the inventor of Tarmac. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Origins

Macadamized roads were adequate for use by horses and carriages or coaches, but they were very dusty, subject to erosion when very rainy and did not hold up to higher speed motor vehicle use. Passing a tarworks in 1901, Hooley observed as a barrel of tar had spilled on the roadway, and in an attempt to reduce the mess, gravel had been dumped on top of it. The area was remarkably dust-free compared to the surrounding road. Look up Macadam in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Macadam is a type of road construction pioneered by the Scotsman John Loudon McAdam in the early 1800s. ...

Commercial activities

This observation inspired Hooley to develop and patent Tarmac in the UK (and, later, in the United States of America). He called his company Tar Macadam (Purnell Hooley's Patent) Syndicate Limited, but unfortunately he had trouble selling his product as he was not a very competent businessman. His company was soon bought out by the Wolverhampton MP, Sir Alfred Hickman, the owner of a steelworks that produced large quantities of waste slag. The Tarmac company was relaunched in 1905 and became an immediate success. Tarmac LTD remains a major player in the UK market for heavy building materials, having divested itself of its housing and contracting interests during the 1990s. A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a person for a fixed period of time in exchange for the regulated, public disclosure of certain details of a device, method, process or composition of matter (substance) (known as an invention) which is new, inventive, and... Wolverhampton is an city and metropolitan borough in the English West Midlands, traditionally part of the county of Staffordshire. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ...

Later developments

As petroleum production increased, the byproduct asphalt became available in huge quantities and largely supplanted tar due to its reduced temperature sensitivity. The Macadam construction process also became quickly obsolete due to its high manual labour requirement; however, the very similar tar and chip method remains popular. Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and elaion – oil or Latin oleum – oil ) or crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. ... The term asphalt is often used as an abbreviation for asphalt concrete. ...

While the specific Tarmac pavement is not common today, many paved surfaces are generically referred to as "tarmac." Many people use the word to refer to paved areas at airports, especially the Airport ramp or "apron", near the terminals despite the fact that many of these areas are in fact made of concrete. "Tarmac" is also used the vernacular as an alternative name for asphalt. The airport at Wick in Caithness, Scotland is one of the few airports that still has a real Tarmac runway. The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. ... An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer from ground transportation to the facilities that allow them to board airplanes. ... Wick is a coastal town on the main highway linking John O Groats with southern Britain, a royal burgh and the county town of Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. ... Caithness (Gallaibh in Gaelic) is a traditional county and former administrative county within the Highland area of Scotland. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ...

Patents

• Hooley, E. Purnell, U.S. Patent 765975, "Apparatus for the preparation of tar macadam", July 26, 1904.