When it comes to constructing roads, more intelligence is required. The aim should be to identify and implement durable and cost-effective road-building techniques. Over time, various road construction methods and processes have evolved, providing an increasing number of options.
Roads are used in our daily lives; however, more planning must be put into building them. Which technique was used? What supplies were used? How long will it last, and how long did the entire process take? In this article, you will learn all the solutions and get to know the methods used in road construction.
Asphalt
Asphalt paving has been one of the most common types of construction since its beginning in the early 1920s. In this procedure, an equally thick gravel base is covered with a layer of asphalt. An asphalt contractor highlights the benefits of this type of road construction, like the pavement’s with relatively little noise. It is relatively cheap compared to other materials and rather simple to maintain and repair.
However, there are better options than asphalt for the environment, and it’s known to be weaker and less robust than most other options.
Composite Pavement Road
Asphalt is combined with a sublayer of Portland cement concrete in composite pavements. They are usually employed to renovate existing roadways rather than in brand-new construction. A paving contractor may apply asphalt overlays over distressed concrete to restore a smooth-wearing surface.
Geosynthetic material can be used for reflective crack management. With break and seat and crack and seat procedures, the concrete is cracked by dropping a significant weight. Then, a heavy roller is used to seat the resultant pieces into the foundation.
The primary distinction between the two processes is the tools used to break the concrete pavement and the size of the leftover bits. The idea is that many small cracks will spread thermal pressure over a wider area than sporadic large joints, lessening the strain on the overlying asphalt pavement.
Rubblization is the process of fracturing old concrete and transforming it into an aggregate base for a new asphalt road. Whitetopping is resurfacing a damaged asphalt road with Portland cement concrete.
Gravel Road
The gravel road is an advancement in road construction. It is popular in semi-rural, semi-urban, and rural settings. Here, you use the same procedure as the earth road, but once the earth is compacted, a layer of gravel is added.
One major benefit is that this road is dust-free and that it does not get slippery when it rains. Its maintenance rate is also less and its construction is not difficult.
The disadvantage of this technique is that it cannot handle heavy traffic. If you travel a long distance on such a road, you will not enjoy it. Lastly, it deteriorates quickly.
Earthworks
Earthworks are the most labor-intensive tasks in road construction. In this process, topsoil is removed from the ground using a grader brought to the site. This corresponds to the point at which the site is graded and scraped to reveal the ground beneath, also known as the level formation.
Excavation will stop at this level, and road building will begin there. If the strength of soils below the formation level is not feasible, pre-excavation testing should be conducted to ensure a clear pass. Low-quality subsoil can be eliminated or stabilized.
Sand wicks and drains can be used if the cost of excavation appears too excessive. Beneath the road embankment, boreholes and wicks are sand-filled.