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Asphalt vs Concrete Freeways

Started by tolbs17, April 10, 2021, 10:13:44 PM

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Which is the best?

All asphalt
18 (28.6%)
Hybrid concrete and asphalt shoulders (Knightdale bypass, I-85 in Henderson)
14 (22.2%)
All concrete (I-485 on the north side of Charlotte, I-785)
31 (49.2%)

Total Members Voted: 63

tolbs17

I have to go with option 3. But that's only if highways are busier.

This one seems okay to me but it's not my favorite. I rather have it all concrete rather than just the shoulders. Don't you think? The Winston-Salem Northern Beltway is being built that way. :D

That part of the highway opened in 2004. If they were building it right now, I'm sure it would have all been concrete (and as you can see the rumble strips are in an odd spot).


zachary_amaryllis

i like concrete if done right, or right imho.

colorado tends to groove it across the highway, which makes a really annoying whine noise when driven at highway speed, indeed, i know what 70mph sounds like quite well.

but it seems like when they go bad,they go REALLY bad. us 287 nw of fort collins is beat to all shit by trucks, the seams are out of whack with the striping, and are probably pants-shitting for motorcycles, since they cross the road at weird angles.
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tolbs17

Quote from: zachary_amaryllis on April 11, 2021, 02:41:51 PM
i like concrete if done right, or right imho.

colorado tends to groove it across the highway, which makes a really annoying whine noise when driven at highway speed, indeed, i know what 70mph sounds like quite well.

but it seems like when they go bad,they go REALLY bad. us 287 nw of fort collins is beat to all shit by trucks, the seams are out of whack with the striping, and are probably pants-shitting for motorcycles, since they cross the road at weird angles.
Look at I-85 in Henderson back in 2007.

vdeane

Quote from: zachary_amaryllis on April 11, 2021, 02:41:51 PM
colorado tends to groove it across the highway, which makes a really annoying whine noise when driven at highway speed, indeed, i know what 70mph sounds like quite well.
That noise from the transverse grooves is part of what makes driving on concrete fun.  If it also has a little bit of that ka-thunk sound, so much the better!  Longitudinal grooves are IMO more boring and tend to make the car shimmy a bit for some reason.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

ilpt4u

I like the concrete freeways ISTHA paves

skluth

I prefer well-maintained freeways without potholes regardless of surface. But there's nothing quite like a freshly-paved asphalt road with almost no traffic from my POV, especially when it winds through beautiful scenery like a Northwoods forest or Western canyon. It's even better when driving a sports car. I once drove a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway after it had been recently paved; even driving an older RAV4 it was practically nirvana.

Concrete roads can still be noisy, but new asphalt almost never is.  Unfortunately, asphalt can't handle the loads carried by interstate truck traffic, so I prefer concrete on freeways except a few rarely-traveled ones.  I don't care about shoulders, as long as they're wide enough to use if I need to pull off the road and not gravel.

NoGoodNamesAvailable

Another annoying feature of concrete is on an sunny day it can get super bright and reflect all the light right into your eyes.

The other problem with concrete roads is that while they should rarely develop potholes if well-maintained, if there is a pothole it seems like it's almost impossible to repair. For a long time there was a monster hole in the left lane of NJ 21 northbound around Nutley or Clifton that was bad enough to destroy major suspension components at 70 mph.

ilpt4u

Quote from: NoGoodNamesAvailable on April 11, 2021, 05:57:13 PM
Another annoying feature of concrete is on an sunny day it can get super bright and reflect all the light right into your eyes.

The other problem with concrete roads is that while they should rarely develop potholes if well-maintained, if there is a pothole it seems like it's almost impossible to repair. For a long time there was a monster hole in the left lane of NJ 21 northbound around Nutley or Clifton that was bad enough to destroy major suspension components at 70 mph.
I've seen contractors for IDOT D9 use concrete pot-hole patches on asphalt roads

I thought the usual concrete pot-hole repair was cutting up and removing that "square" /section, and relaying it? Or is that repairing something else when I see crews doing that?

CtrlAltDel

#8
I have no strong feelings about this, except that I like the transition from one to the other, even if it's just from an asphalt roadway to a concrete bridge and back. I couldn't tell you why, though.
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hotdogPi

Quote from: NoGoodNamesAvailable on April 11, 2021, 05:57:13 PM
Another annoying feature of concrete is on an sunny day it can get super bright and reflect all the light right into your eyes.

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kylebnjmnross

Concrete makes cool noises, so I choose concrete.  :bigass:

I-55

I just want to see more roads paved and striped like the new six lane portion of the Turner Turnpike.
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3467

It depends. For a lower volume Interstate like 155 in Illinois asphalt seem fine. The asphalt section of US 67 south of Monmouth was new alignment only one intersection will be repaved  after 30 years.

US 89

I've always liked asphalt with concrete bridges, which is probably a majority of the Atlanta metro.

ztonyg

ADOT appears to be returning the metro Phoenix area freeways to concrete from rubberized asphalt (they all have a concrete base but the rubberized asphalt was an overlay). Instead of an asphalt overlay they are diamond grinding the concrete.

The diamond ground concrete is quieter and smoother in my opinion.

Scott5114

I prefer concrete. Asphalt always makes the car feel kinda loose and sloshy because of its relative softness and tendency to develop ruts and deform in the heat. Driving on concrete feels more precise.

Quote from: zachary_amaryllis on April 11, 2021, 02:41:51 PM
colorado tends to groove it across the highway, which makes a really annoying whine noise when driven at highway speed, indeed, i know what 70mph sounds like quite well.

That's one of the things I like about concrete with transverse grooves–you can tell if you're going too fast based on the pitch of the pavement whistle!
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andrepoiy

Living in a province where concrete roadways are rare, I'm always rather annoyed by the noise that concrete makes, in addition to just not being used to seeing a white road instead of a black one. Thus, I choose asphalt.

JCinSummerfield

Anyone voting for concrete hasn't seen US-23 in Monroe County, Michigan.  That being said, I shudder to think how disastrous it would be if it were asphalted.

tolbs17

I hope when I-95 is widened, it will be concrete.

kphoger

Asphalt is concrete.  Unless you mean roads that are only made out of the sticky black goo component.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
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Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

paulthemapguy

Continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) > Asphalt > Jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP).  Not sure where jointed reinforced concrete pavement (JRCP) falls on that list.  There's also asphalt-overlaid concrete pavement.  Different pavements are warranted for different applications, percentage of truck traffic, ADT, etc.  Pavements vary in cost, thickness, mix design, etc....so it's difficult to choose a type of pavement that's better universally.

Jointed plain concrete pavement is maddening to drive on after it's aged through many freeze-thaw cycles in places where it snows.  The joints get pushed up, so it's like riding waves on a waverunner until you want to barf....but the waves are pavement.

Quote from: kphoger on April 13, 2021, 02:35:08 PM
Asphalt is concrete.  Unless you mean roads that are only made out of the sticky black goo component.

Everyone knows how these words are used colloquially and what they meant.  You aren't blowing any minds here.
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Scott5114

Quote from: paulthemapguy on April 13, 2021, 03:10:41 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 13, 2021, 02:35:08 PM
Asphalt is concrete.  Unless you mean roads that are only made out of the sticky black goo component.

Everyone knows how these words are used colloquially and what they meant.  You aren't blowing any minds here.

He's trying to get everyone to say "Portland cement concrete" every time because he's in the pocket of Big Word Count.
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kphoger

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 13, 2021, 03:36:17 PM
He's trying to get everyone to say "Portland cement concrete" every time because he's in the pocket of Big Word Count.

Correct.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

GaryV

Quote from: kphoger on April 13, 2021, 04:19:48 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 13, 2021, 03:36:17 PM
He's trying to get everyone to say "Portland cement concrete" every time because he's in the pocket of Big Word Count.

Correct.

Absolutely correct.  (That doubles the count)

ran4sh

Quote from: andrepoiy on April 11, 2021, 08:45:24 PM
Living in a province where concrete roadways are rare, I'm always rather annoyed by the noise that concrete makes, in addition to just not being used to seeing a white road instead of a black one. Thus, I choose asphalt.

I mostly agree with this, concrete is rare in my area also. The one place that I support the use of concrete is actually on urban roads that have established bus routes and stops - use concrete either for the stops only, or for the whole street that the route runs on. Because I have experience with how frequent bus routes can degrade asphalt streets.

Another annoying thing about concrete freeways, that no one has mentioned yet, is how restriping them (such as after a widening) can cause confusion when the lane lines don't coincide with the seams. For an example of this, see I-20 inside I-285 east of I-75/85: https://goo.gl/maps/EJ6fTgsXaL8rBeeX6
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