Why are highways in the US paved with concrete?

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD
Originally Posted By: totegoat
Concrete driveways are good but concrete highways aren't. Asphalt is much cheaper and easier to repair.
Except it does not last in the South with the summer heat and the zillions of OTRs running across it. Back not many years ago, there were sections of the freeways in Houston where you did not need to steer, you could just climb into the ruts and be on "auto steer".


"The Grapevine" section of I-5 between Los Angeles and Bakersfield is like that. Scared me to death the first time I was on it.

 

[FCD]

I do prefer asphalt because of the road noise, fresh asphalt "feels" very nice and smooth and is usually very quiet.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: FordCapriDriver
I do prefer asphalt because of the road noise, fresh asphalt "feels" very nice and smooth and is usually very quiet.

When you're stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, that whole road noise thing isn't really much of an issue.

At least you are not sinking into tar while sitting there when it's 100F+ outside.

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted By: FordCapriDriver
I have never seen a highway or almost any road paved with concrete in Europe.


Many trunk roads trough France......some parts of German highway.....and definitely some parts of trunk road circle around Munich

 

[Kamele0N]

Many roads trough Italy as well!!!

 

[SHOZ]

In Illinois when the built the first cement highways during the 1930's they struck upon the idea if they made them one lane they could make twice as many miles. The concrete is about 18" thick and some is still in use around me now and in pretty good shape.

 

[spackard]

How about 1 lane asphalt, 2 lanes concrete? (The Pasadena Fwy, since their claim is it was the West's first freeway). Apparently started as 1 of each, to encourage drivers to stay in the outer lane unless passing.

By the way, I find 100% concrete tough on the eyes in the summer heat and sun.

 

[4ever4d]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Concrete holds up better in very warm climates, but as we know, is noisy.

Here in NC they are milling a very thin layer off the top of the concrete and has made a world of change in the harmonics of the surface.

 

[Malo83]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD
Originally Posted By: totegoat
Concrete driveways are good but concrete highways aren't. Asphalt is much cheaper and easier to repair.
Except it does not last in the South with the summer heat and the zillions of OTRs running across it. Back not many years ago, there were sections of the freeways in Houston where you did not need to steer, you could just climb into the ruts and be on "auto steer".


"The Grapevine" section of I-5 between Los Angeles and Bakersfield is like that. Scared me to death the first time I was on it.

The pot holes on the Grapevine are the worst, with the constant traffic the asphalt doesn't last.

 

[Falcon_LS]

You're comparing apples to oranges, especially if you're comparing much of the hotter, southern states. Much of the roads in the Middle East are concrete as well, and for good reason. Asphalt and high heat conditions do not go together. Over 130 F, and the road starts to soften and sink. Add HDV's to the list and it's a road hazard.

Originally Posted By: Malo83
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
"The Grapevine" section of I-5 between Los Angeles and Bakersfield is like that. Scared me to death the first time I was on it.

The pot holes on the Grapevine are the worst, with the constant traffic the asphalt doesn't last.


That section of Interstate 5 freaked me out as well. As for the potholes, I think it's sad that there's a website dedicated to LA potholes.

 

[4WD]

That and in the "point and click" gotta have it now world - we are putting plenty trucks on the road ...

 

[Silk]

We used to have concrete roads in NZ, but they are all covered over now. Here is their take on why we don't use concrete anymore.

[Although concrete roads were built in New Zealand between World War One and World War Two, they are currently not being used because:

they are difficult to maintain where services such as water, gas and sewers are located underneath

they do not handle the long-term earth movements to which New Zealand is susceptible very well

they are more expensive than asphaltic concrete

they tend to be more noisy than asphaltic concrete without a noise-absorbing surfacing.]

And why aren't they cement roads in America ? Concrete in not a term heard from them, it's alway seement.

 

[bbhero]

All of this is moot because what is under the concrete or asphalt is what truly matters. A real deep graded road bed is what ultimately determines the long-term stability of a road. A half rear ended job can lead to concrete roads failing much sooner than it should. Interstate 295 from Hopewell to the interstate 95 interchange is 25 years old and has many repaired concrete sections already done. These re patches started over 12 years ago. So a concrete road was starting to fail less then 15 yrs of age. Very,very poor road construction to begin with. Why?? In all likelihood the grade below the concrete road bed was half done and poorly performed. This is of little surprise given the bridge crossing the Chickahominy river started buckling less than 6 yrs after completion. Why?? They did not hit true bed rock while driving the pilings for that bridge. Thus once it was finished it settled. Leading to a rather wavy drive across that 1/3 mile long low bridge. The repair was to brace up the existing superstructure with heavy steel I beams. As a side note of interest in this case there was hardly NO traffic on that road when this failure became apparent. When my family would drive that 10 miles stretch of 295 we would barely see 20 cars or trucks on that road. And it is also of note that the last section of 295 connecting to Interstate 95 was not heavily traversed either when the road started having trouble either. Ultimately it is the road bed that sets up how well or poorly a road performs later on. In the cases of 295 it was obvious that the foundation underneath the concrete roadway was substandard from the start.

 

[4WD]

I think the concrete over asphalt has good potential ... when they had the asphalt packed down - it already looked like a finished road and here came the loads of steel bar ...
It will sit up higher too along with better drainage ...

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
All of this is moot because what is under the concrete or asphalt is what truly matters. A real deep graded road bed is what ultimately determines the long-term stability of a road. A half rear ended job can lead to concrete roads failing much sooner than it should. Interstate 295 from Hopewell to the interstate 95 interchange is 25 years old and has many repaired concrete sections already done. These re patches started over 12 years ago. So a concrete road was starting to fail less then 15 yrs of age. Very,very poor road construction to begin with. Why?? In all likelihood the grade below the concrete road bed was half done and poorly performed. This is of little surprise given the bridge crossing the Chickahominy river started buckling less than 6 yrs after completion. Why?? They did not hit true bed rock while driving the pilings for that bridge. Thus once it was finished it settled. Leading to a rather wavy drive across that 1/3 mile long low bridge. The repair was to brace up the existing superstructure with heavy steel I beams. As a side note of interest in this case there was hardly NO traffic on that road when this failure became apparent. When my family would drive that 10 miles stretch of 295 we would barely see 20 cars or trucks on that road. And it is also of note that the last section of 295 connecting to Interstate 95 was not heavily traversed either when the road started having trouble either. Ultimately it is the road bed that sets up how well or poorly a road performs later on. In the cases of 295 it was obvious that the foundation underneath the concrete roadway was substandard from the start.


"Over there", aren't contractors required to do free repairs for x years after the project? Thus pushing them to do it right the first time?

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
All of this is moot because what is under the concrete or asphalt is what truly matters. A real deep graded road bed is what ultimately determines the long-term stability of a road. A half rear ended job can lead to concrete roads failing much sooner than it should. Interstate 295 from Hopewell to the interstate 95 interchange is 25 years old and has many repaired concrete sections already done. These re patches started over 12 years ago. So a concrete road was starting to fail less then 15 yrs of age. Very,very poor road construction to begin with. Why?? In all likelihood the grade below the concrete road bed was half done and poorly performed. This is of little surprise given the bridge crossing the Chickahominy river started buckling less than 6 yrs after completion. Why?? They did not hit true bed rock while driving the pilings for that bridge. Thus once it was finished it settled. Leading to a rather wavy drive across that 1/3 mile long low bridge. The repair was to brace up the existing superstructure with heavy steel I beams. As a side note of interest in this case there was hardly NO traffic on that road when this failure became apparent. When my family would drive that 10 miles stretch of 295 we would barely see 20 cars or trucks on that road. And it is also of note that the last section of 295 connecting to Interstate 95 was not heavily traversed either when the road started having trouble either. Ultimately it is the road bed that sets up how well or poorly a road performs later on. In the cases of 295 it was obvious that the foundation underneath the concrete roadway was substandard from the start.


Is this what you mean?

https://goo.gl/maps/wYnua8cUEhT2

 

[MNgopher]

They aren't cement roads in America because if they were, they'd be very, very dusty...

As a civil engineer you are taught very early on that it is concrete and that cement is an ingredient in concrete. Others may call it cement, but that isn't what it is.

Concrete is a mixture of Various aggregates (gravels), Sand, Cement, Water, admixtures for various properties, and often pozzolanic cements, such as fly ash that reduces the quantity of portland cement needed.

Cement is only the dry material mixed in with everything else that binds it all together...

 

[SHOZ]

10 years or so ago Indiana rebuilt I65 on the north end. All concrete and one of the best roads I've been on. Most Illinois highways are concrete base with asphalt top. Every 5-7 years they redo the asphalt.

 

[Jetronic]

Originally Posted By: FordCapriDriver
I have never seen a highway or almost any road paved with concrete in Europe.


A lot have concrete where I live, though the new ones seem to get asfalt for noise reduction and water evacuation.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: FordCapriDriver
I do prefer asphalt because of the road noise, fresh asphalt "feels" very nice and smooth and is usually very quiet.

Depends. My big issue with freshly laid asphalt is the assorted stuff that comes off and ends up in my wheel well. There can be sticky bits of asphalt covered aggregate kicking into the wheel well. Even after it's been rolled it's still a little bit spongy. Try walking over freshly laid/rolled asphalt. It will feel a bit like those surfaces used in kiddie play structures. I've also seen asphalt used to patch a sidewalk, and those often aren't well packed. Those literally will compact a half inch and rebound back to shape. I've ended up with little bits of asphalt stuck to my shoe.