Least Cost Pavement Alternatives

"By the way, I live in New York State (near Buffalo)"

Sorry about your luck! ;-)

Everything is relative. What do you mean by lowest cost? Do you mean short term, Long term? Cost to maintain? Do you want to include the cost for the traveler to transverse the road?

Different surfaces give you better gas mileage. They also give you different safety margins. Do you want to include the medical and property damages to the equation?

Is convenience a factor?

Also, climate, ground types, landscapes, available material, traffic volumes, speeds, and vehicle types are a factor to consider also.

It's a pretty complex equation. What are you building a road, a race track, a drive way, or a nature trail?

Depending on how you want to look at it, concrete may be the best solution for the lowest cost. For instance, almost every driveway where I live in Florida is concrete because it is the most cost effective solution. However, one cement shoe does not fit all. Almost all of our roads are asphalt.

any road = lots of labor

cheapest is to elevate,

may need to scrape surrounding area to build up roadway

keep dry, save any rock, sand, gravel aside to create road bed, save claybearing matl's, excavate & sort as moving along.

use clay/gravel on top, well crowned. build shoulders...

pack down well.

mat'l cost can be zero

google roman roads..

jstacat

Black Charcoal Paviment is a real solar heater and will add up to 5º to 7ºC to your town´s air than use to.

Do dont chose paviment by price only.

The best is the white toped concrete, from any point of view, and avoid global warming.

In Buffalo, they NEED global warming. In looking at the surface area of the earth, tell me how blacktop will have any global effect? What are the numbers? Locally, it has an effect, no doubt, but 5 degrees C, I doubt those numbers. But globally? GMAB.

hmm, concrete is derived by initially stripping the carbonate from limestone by application of huge amounts of energy. For nearly every mole of calcium and magnesium found in concrete there had to be a mole of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere, plus a number of moles relreased in the generation of the energy to heat the rock white hot to drive off the carbonate. The carbon load would probably add much more to the over storage of energy in the atmosphere, and global warming, thenthe heat stored in the blacktop. Additionally, in areas that recieve snow, and the roads get salted, concrete will perform poorly when exposed to salt over a period of time. Crushed rock is probably the cheapest alternative overall for slow speeds. While it requires more frequent maintenance, the materials cost are low and the maintenance is relatively quick and simple. Just makes sure to raise the raod surface and that the road base in the travel lanes is drained.

In Mumbai in India, now a days we use interlocked tiles for pavment.These are '8' shaped tiles which are fixed on sand leveled pavements and are interlocked. Sand is spread over the tiles for filling up the gaps and wiped off latter on. These are 3" thick tiles glazed on one side. Advantages are that you can remove and refix them for servicing of facilities below the pavements.No cement is used for laying such tiles. I do not know the cost but in long run seem to be economical.

I'm not sure if it's the cheapest, but there's a place in NJ (near Delaware), that manufactures linoleum flooring. And what they do is if they have any product that doesn't meet spec., they grind it up into what looks like crushed oyster shell - and sell it as driveway fill. The company is called Mannington Mills.

Regards,

John

I LIVE IN WEST TEXAS AND WE USE BROKEN PEACAN SHELLS AS A PAVEMENT BASE.

Here in Scotland we are using recycled crushed glass as an alternative to balast for concrete. It is very good, cheap and better for the environment.

I bet it is really hard on downed motorcycle riders. OUCH!!

CLEAR ORGANICS, PLACE LAYER OF GENERIC TYPAR MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC AND COVER WITH REPROCESSED CONTRETE ( CRUSHED) GRADE SMOOTH AND PITCH SLIGHTLY FOR RUN-OFF. I USED IT FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVE AND PARKING LOT AT 12" ABOVE SEA LEVEL IN WET LANDS AND IT HAS SHOWN NO SIGNS OF DETERIORATION OR MAJOR SETTLEMENT FOR EIGHT YEARS. I ALSO HAVE REIFORCED CONCRETE ON SAME PROPERTY 24YEARS OLD WHICH I DID TO VA DEPT OF HIGHWAY SPEC'S THAT IS ALSO FAIRING QUITE WELL BUT THE COST TO REPLICATE WAS TREMENDOUS. THIS IS ON LAND ON THE CONFLUENCE OF THE BARNEGAT BAY AND THE METEDECONK RIVER AND IS TIDAL. NO GREATER TEST.

The "Good Answer" seems good and cheap!

If needed, what means could be used to make the surface sufficiently smooth for wallking barefoot?

actually its reclcled rubber mixed with other junk they did it in arizona for about ten miles and its more durable and lasts a lot longer but its kinda expensive i have the misfortune to live in cleveland ande they resurface downtown about every year and theyll probablly be doing it as long as this bf town can

Recycle Aggregate Base Rock is a good option. The crushed concrete tends to rehydrate, forming a weakly cement treated base. If properly moisture conditioned and compacted in excess of 95% on placement, or with in a hour or so of placement, it will form a very hard,strong and durable pavement section. I have allowed its use on many projects. The only problem is that the mixture of asphalt, brick and concrete tends to vary some, so the optimum moisture content and the maximum compaction vary.