Why does newly paved asphalt sound so much quieter when driving over it?
In: Engineering
Newly paved roads make the surface, called a roadway, smooth and easier than roll over.
Run your finger nails over corduroy the run your fingernails across a bed sheet. You’ll notice a difference in the sound.
If you cover the corduroy with a few layers of smooth material, the no’s will become quieter with each layer.
The roadway is actually made of smaller pieces of rock than the base or the sub-base which creating the smoother top coat.
The base is better at holding its shape and supporting weight because it is made or larger materials .
The sun base is better still at holding its shape and made of even larger material that has irregular edges which lock in place by pressing against one another.
Over time, the top coat will become stressed and possibly worn but most importantly the weight of the vehicles will push the top coat into the rougher material of the base.
So, when repaving, the top coat (roadway) is removed and replaced with a smooth(ish) and level coat.
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