Why do we still use concrete and asphalt for our roadways? Why have we not found a better material that is less prone to potholes and always feels smooth to drive on?
In: 674
This is a great question. To begin with, our roads are mostly rocks held together by binders. These binders could be asphalt or cement, and they just basically hold the rock together.
There are many reasons for cracks and potholes (construction quality, material quality, climate, design quality), and both asphalt or concrete can experience these issues. In general, concrete is more expensive to make or repair but it lasts longer.
How roads are made is mostly an economic decision because they are very expensive. Asphalt and concrete are materials that are available in relative abundance And are easy to transport and cost relatively low; therefore, they are used a lot (asphalt more than concrete).
Believe it or not, we do have many “new” materials or many modifications we can make to asphalt and concrete to make them last very long with out with out failing. But, the cost of using these new materials or these modifications to asphalt and concrete is high and not everyone wants to spend that money. One can easily see this when comparing roads in rich countries versus not so rich. In both cases, the roads are likely asphalt but the country willing to spend more money usually gets better quality roads.
In summary, we can make asphalt or concrete roads last a long time with no potholes but engineers usually don’t have the budget to do so.
Latest Answers