The company VolkerWessels will build road from recycled plastic.
[IMG]http://www.constructionenquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/view.jpg[/IMG]
[quote="look at link you douche"]The Dutch giant’s road building division KWS Infra is looking to trial its new “Plastic Road” system in Rotterdam.
KWS Infra director Rolf Mars said: “Plastic offers lots of advantages compared to current road structures, both in the construction and the maintenance of it.”
Mars said plastic roads are much more durable than asphalt while space in the ‘hollow’ roads can be used for instance for cables and pipes.
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[url]http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2015/07/13/volkerwessels-to-build-plastic-roads/[/url]
Two questions: are they actually going to be red?, and how much noise do they make? Concrete is also easier, better for the environment and simpler to maintain than tarmac, but it's really fucking noisy and not very attractive, so it's not used.
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48202579]Two questions: are they actually going to be red?, and how much noise do they make? Concrete is also easier, better for the environment and simpler to maintain than tarmac, but it's really fucking noisy and not very attractive, so it's not used.[/QUOTE]
In the netherlands, all bycycle paths are red, well, almost all. Most of them are either made out of tarmac, otherwise they're made out of [url=http://www.joop-goedkoop.nl/welkom/bouwmaterialen/P2160093.JPG]these kind of things[/url].
And from the source:
[quote]Mars said the new roads are virtually maintenance free and resistant to corrosion and weathering – offering a life span of three times that of traditional materials.[/quote]
They take plastic out of the recycling system and use them for something that will be used by lots of people. I think that this is better for the environment than concrete tbh.
[QUOTE=Cyberuben;48202632]In the netherlands, all bycycle paths are red, well, almost all. Most of them are either made out of tarmac, otherwise they're made out of [url=http://www.joop-goedkoop.nl/welkom/bouwmaterialen/P2160093.JPG]these kind of things[/url].
And from the source:
They take plastic out of the recycling system and use them for something that will be used by lots of people. I think that this is better for the environment than concrete tbh.[/QUOTE]
We have red bicycle paths too. They're good for things like that but I think they'd be somewhat distracting if that were the only colour they could be (although it would be worth it if it were more environmentally friendly). I just hope we can figure out how to make roads out of something genuinely renewable. A more refined plastic (and recycled as well) is an improvement, but I think we still need to try and avoid using it whatsoever.
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48202579]Two questions: are they actually going to be red?, and how much noise do they make? Concrete is also easier, better for the environment and simpler to maintain than tarmac, but it's really fucking noisy and not very attractive, so it's not used.[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://www.volkerwessels.com/nl/nieuws/detail/volkerwessels-lanceert-plastic-weg-concept"]Here's the company's press release[/URL][URL="https://archive.is/pSiYK"].[/URL]
[URL="https://translate.google.de/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.volkerwessels.com%2Fnl%2Fnieuws%2Fdetail%2Fvolkerwessels-lanceert-plastic-weg-concept&edit-text=&act=url"]The automatic translation[/URL] mentions [URL="https://archive.is/gTNho#selection-5549.55-5549.132"]"including power generation, ultra quiet roads, heated roads, modular building"[/URL] as [URL="https://archive.is/pSiYK#selection-2045.54-2045.62"][I]potential[/I][/URL] benefits.
While the first item of that is a monumentally bad idea, making them quiet is likely very feasible by tuning the composition and geometry.
Plastic itself is also an excellent insulator, meaning sound energy won't travel well through it. I'm no engineer, but some playgrounds in the US use plastic-rubber composite matting as their ground and it's super quiet underfoot. I think some athletic tracks in the US use it as well.
What happens to old roads? What happens to the dust generated by wear?
[editline]14th July 2015[/editline]
How are they repaired? What happens when roadworks need to be done? Will you have to replace the whole section? Can the established equipment deal with the new material? What is the cost of relearning existing workers to work with the new material? Who is maintenance contracted to since the tech is clearly intellectual property? Or is it public?
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48202579]Two questions: are they actually going to be red?, and how much noise do they make? Concrete is also easier, better for the environment and simpler to maintain than tarmac, but it's really fucking noisy and not very attractive, so it's not used.[/QUOTE]
Isn't Concrete more prone to cracking? In cold countries we can't use concrete
you people ask to many questions
[QUOTE=Orki;48202993]Isn't Concrete more prone to cracking? In cold countries we can't use concrete[/QUOTE]
In Lithuania, there are concrete roads.
And they are horrible. They may be really durable (and are) but they have splits every 5m or so and it feels like you are driving on a railroad.
NL is a great country, feels like a small paradise each time I visit. Your infrastructure is superb, good on ya Dutch.
[QUOTE=Orki;48202993]Isn't Concrete more prone to cracking? In cold countries we can't use concrete[/QUOTE]
Got mostly asphalt roads in the north. Well, asphalt/concrete I think.
Won't runoff dissolve the plastic overtime and leech stuff into the ground, kind of like how chemicals get leeched into bottled water?
[QUOTE=KillerLUA;48203274]Won't runoff dissolve the plastic overtime and leech stuff into the ground, kind of like how chemicals get leeched into bottled water?[/QUOTE]
Depends on the plastic. I'm guessing they are going to make it out of polyalkenes or something, which are notably inert.
What if car accident happens and car is on fire? Will it melt right through the road into nether?
[QUOTE=arleitiss;48203315]What if car accident happens and car is on fire? Will it melt right through the road into nether?[/QUOTE]
Yes. [URL="https://archive.is/gTNho#selection-5051.1-5051.65"]Probably.[/URL]
Vehicle fires can heat [URL="https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-243.pdf"]up to 1500°F[/URL] (>800°C), so I think it's safe to say it would melt through it ([URL="https://archive.is/pJby3#selection-1259.0-1280.0"]and most tarmac[/URL], but I don't know if it would sink into that).
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48202579]Two questions: are they actually going to be red?, and how much noise do they make? Concrete is also easier, better for the environment and simpler to maintain than tarmac, but it's really fucking noisy and not very attractive, so it's not used.[/QUOTE]
and when you get a little bit of rain you're fucked
[editline]14th July 2015[/editline]
concrete is shit for roads
this is one of those things that sounds and looks cool, but is actually really dumb like those solar highways
actually i take that back, there's nothing cool about plastic roads
[QUOTE=Tamschi;48203397]Yes. [URL="https://archive.is/gTNho#selection-5051.1-5051.65"]Probably.[/URL]
Vehicle fires can heat [URL="https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-243.pdf"]up to 1500°F[/URL] (>800°C), so I think it's safe to say it would melt through it ([URL="https://archive.is/pJby3#selection-1259.0-1280.0"]and most tarmac[/URL], but I don't know if it would sink into that).[/QUOTE]
First off, please stop using the word "tarmac" to reference asphaltic concrete (asphalt for short). Asphalt and tarmac are two completely different roadway surfaces.
Asphalt is basically the same thing as concrete, only it uses a petroleum based cement instead of portland cement, which is made from limestone. Both types of concrete are comprised of a mixture of fine and coarse aggregates, coated in a cement.
The difference is that portland cement hardens via chemical reaction with water. Asphaltic cement is hard by nature, but liquifies when it is heated, allowing it to flow and coat the aggregates. When it cools, it solidifies and bonds the aggregates together. Tarmac was produced by laying down asphaltic concrete, laying aggregate on top of the asphaltic concrete, then putting another layer of asphaltic concrete on top of the aggregate, bonding them and sealing them. Asphalt is made by heating and drying the aggregate in a large drying drum, heating asphaltic cement until it liquifies, then coating the heated aggregate with asphaltic cement and mixing it all together.
So, when a vehicle catches fire over ashpalt, it re-heats the asphaltic cement, causing it to liquify again, but because asphaltic cement is only a bonding agent for the aggregate, you wouldn't necessarily "sink" in it, however the aggregates would move around.
[QUOTE=Orki;48202993]Isn't Concrete more prone to cracking? In cold countries we can't use concrete[/QUOTE]We have concrete bedded highways and roads in Minnesota, with a layer of asphalt on top.
Our climate has a wildly vast temperature difference between summer and winter, basically you can't get more long-term demanding conditions than this region. (not just Minnesota, the surrounding states and Canadian provinces too) Anything engineered to work here has to survive -40C winter, 40C summer, and the transition between the two twice a year. We use concrete because it's very durable and lasts a very long time, and the noise factor isn't a big deal since road repair happens statewide as long as it's warm enough to pour the new asphalt or concrete. Even on all-concrete roads we really couldn't give a fuck about the noise, the road is arranged in slabs so going over them is a uniform and even sound that you stop noticing unless it's in need of repair.
[QUOTE=rampageturke 2;48203425]and when you get a little bit of rain you're fucked
[editline]14th July 2015[/editline]
concrete is shit for roads[/QUOTE]lol what
Why would they keep it smooth? Concrete roadways are textured.
[QUOTE=Silence I Kill You;48204222]First off, please stop using the word "tarmac" to reference asphaltic concrete (asphalt for short). Asphalt and tarmac are two completely different roadway surfaces.
Asphalt is basically the same thing as concrete, only it uses a petroleum based cement instead of portland cement, which is made from limestone. Both types of concrete are comprised of a mixture of fine and coarse aggregates, coated in a cement.
The difference is that portland cement hardens via chemical reaction with water. Asphaltic cement is hard by nature, but liquifies when it is heated, allowing it to flow and coat the aggregates. When it cools, it solidifies and bonds the aggregates together. Tarmac was produced by laying down asphaltic concrete, laying aggregate on top of the asphaltic concrete, then putting another layer of asphaltic concrete on top of the aggregate, bonding them and sealing them. Asphalt is made by heating and drying the aggregate in a large drying drum, heating asphaltic cement until it liquifies, then coating the heated aggregate with asphaltic cement and mixing it all together.
So, when a vehicle catches fire over ashpalt, it re-heats the asphaltic cement, causing it to liquify again, but because asphaltic cement is only a bonding agent for the aggregate, you wouldn't necessarily "sink" in it, however the aggregates would move around.[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/07/wait-tarmac-can-melt/259565/"]It's a British vs American English issue, it seems[/URL][URL="https://archive.is/wqNgw#selection-897.119-905.20"].[/URL]
Thanks for the explanation regarding the solid parts, though.
[QUOTE=Tamschi;48204707][URL="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/07/wait-tarmac-can-melt/259565/"]It's a British vs American English issue, it seems[/URL][URL="https://archive.is/wqNgw#selection-897.119-905.20"].[/URL]
Thanks for the explanation regarding the solid parts, though.[/QUOTE]
No problem. I work in roadway construction as a roadway inspector certified in asphalt, basecourse and embankment, and structural concrete. I wasn't trying to be mean or anything if it came off that way. It just irks me for some unknown reason.
but is it also solar powered?
If this were ever used as actual roadways for cars, wouldn't there be much stricter weight limits? And what about traction, especially on rainy days? Plastic roadways + rain water + rubber tires just doesn't make sense to me if we're looking for a more 'efficient' use of resources.
[QUOTE=TheCube;48206211]If this were ever used as actual roadways for cars, wouldn't there be much stricter weight limits? And what about traction, especially on rainy days? Plastic roadways + rain water + rubber tires just doesn't make sense to me if we're looking for a more 'efficient' use of resources.[/QUOTE]
I am pretty sure it wont be just flat plastic road, I can imagine it will have some kind of grainy texture for friction.
[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48202579]Two questions: are they actually going to be red?, and how much noise do they make? Concrete is also easier, better for the environment and simpler to maintain than tarmac, but it's really fucking noisy and not very attractive, so it's not used.[/QUOTE]
It's poured like asphalt which itself can be tuned to be quiet, asphalt and concrete make noise because of the tires and air being compressed between it and the road. Concrete is also not used much in a lot of places because you need dry warm weather to pour it, which is why the southern US has a lot more cement roads than the northern states which have a short construction season
[QUOTE=arleitiss;48206271]I am pretty sure it wont be just flat plastic road, I can imagine it will have some kind of grainy texture for friction.[/QUOTE]
Think of a plastic running track or plastic playground flooring. It's spongy and slightly porous. I imagine a roadway would be more solid than either of those to account for weight, but it'll be textured and spongy-like, not a solid flat piece of matte plastic.
If they are going to be textured on top for friction, then how will these roads be built? With traditional concrete/asphalt you just pour the stuff out and let the road roller flatten it. It's quite fast. But these plastic roads could take a lot more work to build, and may require special road rollers to produce a texture. Sure these things won't be prefab bricks (think about bends on hilly parts).
What are the traction properties of the plastic? Don't want cars to just go flying off into a ditch every corner.
[QUOTE=JumpinJackFlash;48204554]We have concrete bedded highways and roads in Minnesota, with a layer of asphalt on top.
Our climate has a wildly vast temperature difference between summer and winter, basically you can't get more long-term demanding conditions than this region. (not just Minnesota, the surrounding states and Canadian provinces too) Anything engineered to work here has to survive -40C winter, 40C summer, and the transition between the two twice a year. We use concrete because it's very durable and lasts a very long time, and the noise factor isn't a big deal since road repair happens statewide as long as it's warm enough to pour the new asphalt or concrete. Even on all-concrete roads we really couldn't give a fuck about the noise, the road is arranged in slabs so going over them is a uniform and even sound that you stop noticing unless it's in need of repair.
lol what
Why would they keep it smooth? Concrete roadways are textured.[/QUOTE]
No I mean they end up cracked as shit when you get a freeze
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