Abstract: A modified or bridged asphalt composition. The composition can be obtained by treating at least one asphalt base with an acid-derived compound having at least two functional groups capable, respectively, of being grafted onto one or more sites located on two or more different aromatic entities of the asphalt base, so as to link said entities by bridging.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing steel bars wherein at least four individual bars are rolled at the same time from a single billet, thus increasing the production capacity of a given rolling mill operating at a predetermined velocity and designed to produce only one or two bars at the same time and without requiring tension relieving stations between the slitting box and the finishing rolling stands as in the prior art. The problems of uniform quality of final bars are solved by preforming the outermost elements of a multi-stranded stock with different shape and/or cross section as compared to the inner elements of said multi-stranded stock. An apparatus for separation of the individual elements of the multi-stranded bar is provided wherein the elements are separated at several stages starting with the two outermost elements in the first stage and continuing in the same order until the center elements are separated in the last stage.