My son didn't believe me when I told him, so as an accountant he asked an engineer of a client that did $ 500 million in road work a year here in PA. His answer was they were meant to last only three years.
In many states we lay eight inches of concrete and a two inch wearing surface of asphalt. Asphalt is porous and there for the water seeps through, stops at the concrete, freezes and a pot hole is created.
You never hit a pot hole on a runway, taxiway, Atlantic City Expressway, or major roads in Delaware. They are all either 100% concrete or Asphalt.
I wouldn't say they're done "on purpose", compared to an interstate or runway. They wear differently because of their construction method. Roads are definitely nowhere near comparable to the latter, the stresses on a 13,000 foot runway from an 800,000 pound (400 tons!) 747 rolling at 160 mph are MUCH larger than any car or truck is going to put into a road. Runways are 150 feet wide, but the weight of a jet is concentrated on only a 35-40 foot wide section of it. They're highly prepared surfaces, very specific angles and grades must be maintained along that length. Any kind of water ponding or imperfection on that surface could lead to an accident. They need to be extremely smooth, with precisely controlled drainages to maintain minimal water retention and allow airplanes to move quickly over them. Extremely high speed+water= hydroplaning. Unlike cars and trucks, airplanes can't be built with heavy duty suspension systems, every pound counts.
You could never economically build roads to the standard of a runway. Heavier loads require deeper foundations for the paved surface. A road may only be 2-3 feet deep from the gravel bed to the surface. A runway at an international airport or an Interstate highway are much deeper than that, some require embedded rebar to properly support their loads.
80,000 pound trucks vs 4,000 pound cars are very different as well. All city streets aren't made to support 18-wheelers. There are extra taxes attached to owning one to offset the expenses that come from their wear on roads.
Sorry Justin, I totally disagree. I was a structural concrete contractor for many years. 80,000 lb trucks have nothing to do with our road designs. I just drove 200 miles round trip to the end of Delaware on I-95, the busiest road in Delaware. Filled with 80,000 lb trucks. Not one pot hole and the only repairs being done were some light work being done on one bridge. You can't drive 20 miles on any road in Pennsylvania without hitting pot holes and road rebuilding.
Different construction standards still stands. Interstate highways are built to federal standards and are designed for that load. Inner city roads are not, unless they're on truck routes.
All concrete flat work (roads, slabs, etc.) requires embedded rebar or welded wire mesh for reinforcement.
Just like bridges, overpasses, or any other major public infrastructure .... they are built to a price.
No, they are built to a design. And in PA, Northern NJ, Michigan, Illinois, New York the designs are flawed.
I was a structural concrete contractor for a very long time. You realize these things after a while.
do you have any car questions you need help with?
Yep. I hit a pothole on the highway and it's caused one of my 4 brand new tyres to leak about 1/2 a psi a day. Just had them fitted. Pothole was like a canyon. I missed it as it was at night. Maybe the guy didn't seal the tyres right as well. The car still tracks ok but I'm going to have to get the alignment and everything checked as well.
