TAKING A FRESH LOOK AT OUR CRUMBLING ROADS

The author claims that the flexibility of the wearing course often conceals damage done to the road's foundation and that it may be some considerable time before this becomes apparent. Together, motorways and trunk roads carry nearly 71 per cent of the total UK heavy goods traffic and eventually surfaces of flexible construction deform mainly because they rely upon the hardness of the bitumen and have comparatively little mechanical stability. Increasing the viscosity of the bitumen increases resistance to compaction and lowers the lubrication factor, whilst strengthening the mix. The author describes the properties of the binder surmac, based on an extensive study of polymer additives and their effect on the performance of bitumen. The use of a 55 per cent stone aggregate mix and a surface dressing using surmac for new construction is advocated. If the road surface is not deformed, the use of a well supervised surface dressing using surmac could provide some mechanical stability as well as a seal and binder for the chippings. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00396303
• Corporate Authors:

  IPC Building and Contract Journals Limited

  Surrey House, 1 Throwley Way
  Sutton, Surrey SM1 4QQ,   England 
• Authors:
  • McKenna, M
• Publication Date: 1982-1-28

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 16-17
• Serial:
  • SURVEYOR
  • Volume: 4675
  • Issue Number: 159
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0039-6303

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; Arterial highways; Binders; Bitumen; Chippings; Compaction; Defects; Deformation; Durability; Flexible pavements; Freeways; Heavy vehicles; Highways; Loss and damage; Mix design; Pavement distress; Pavements; Polymerization; Repairing; Rubber; Seal coats; Stability (Mechanics); Strength of materials; Surfacing; Traffic flow; Traffic loads; Viscosity; Wear; Wearing course (Pavements)
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 4577: Aggregate; 4948: Binder; 4963: Bitumen; 4585: Chippings; 3686: Compaction; 1614: Damage; 5595: Deformation; 5910: Durability; 2944: Flexible pavement; 2755: Highway; 1236: Lorry; 2748: Main road; 4714: Mix design; 2752: Motorway; 7481: Polymerization; 3635: Repair; 7494: Rubber; 5930: Stability; 5544: Strength (mater); 2984: Surface dressing; 2972: Surfacing; 671: Traffic flow; 8119: United Kingdom; 5936: Viscosity
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials; Pavements; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00362322
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1982 12:00AM