What Is Tar Macadam?

Normally used in the making of roads, parade grounds or any place that requires a smooth and even surface, Tar macadam or Tarmac, as it is generally called, is a black, hard material having profuse utility.

As evident from its colour and its name, the substance is a mixture of tar and macadam, which, in turn, is a blend of hundreds of tiny granite chips compressed together.  The name Macadam was imported from a Scotsman who had this name.  His full name was John Loudon MacAdam who used macadam in the late 18th century for the first time.  

The original macadam is still used on roads and is still much better and more effective than tar macadam.  But in the long run, tarmac and other recently developed surfaces fare much better than the macadam, specially on a road where the traffic is heavy and where there is a speculation of loose stones getting dispersed.