The title is the question.
Maybe it’s the cheapest thing with the right properties, but can’t it be painted with something a little more reflective, that won’t absorbe so much heat from the sun?
In: Technology
Asphalt used to be cheaper than concrete, but nowadays I think they’re fairly similar.
One big advantage though is you can drive on asphalt within hours of placement. With standard concrete roads you need to wait 2 weeks for it to cure to just 50% strength so you can let cars on it again. You can pay extra for “high early strength” concrete, but that’s still at least 3 days before you can let cars on it.
Asphalt is also easier to maintain, you can grind a couple inches off and replace it every decade or two.
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