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Given that roads are built as a permanent structure which isn't permanent, thus terribly hard to replace... I've wondered about building roads featuring self-l
by ctdonath 14y ago
Given that roads are built as a permanent structure which isn't permanent, thus terribly hard to replace...
I've wondered about building roads featuring self-leveling snap-in sections. Dispersed energy from traffic could be captured to operate its active self-leveling and status-reporting functions. When a section breaks - which like any road it will - a crew is notified, brings out a new section, pops out the old, installs the new within a few minutes, and moves on. No more long-term breakdowns, huge effort ripping out old road, long period rebuilding a replacement - all due to building asphalt/concrete roads as permanent structures which aren't.
Yes, up front costs are higher, but we've been building roads long enough to know there are substantial long term maintenance and replacement costs.
- ImprovedSilence 14y agoI don't know a lot about road building, but I always thought that is the point of jointed concrete roads.
- sp332 14y agoSure, and I've seen sidewalks made the same way, but you can't use concrete in the "salt belt" [0] because salt causes ridiculous amounts of pitting in concrete roads. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Belt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Belt
- ImprovedSilence 14y agoHm, what do states that get snow, but don't use salt do? Like CO for instance? Also, I'm from PA, and pa/nj/ny are probably where i've seen the most concrete roads? (maybe that's why PA roads are so shitty compared to MD/VA?, besides the fact that they re-pave their roads every 2 years....)
- sp332 14y agoHm, http://www.pothole.info/2011/03/how-road-salt-leads-to-rough-pavement-sometimes/ http://www.pothole.info/2011/03/how-road-salt-leads-to-rough... and other sources I just Googled seem to agree that salt only affects concrete in certain situations. I guess there's some other reason we don't have concrete roads up in New Hampshire...