The self-healing road • Hacker News Board

Re: The self-healing road

#11

Post by ctdonath » Fri, Mar 08, 2013, 2:58 PM UTC

Given that roads are built as a permanent structure which isn't permanent, thus terribly hard to replace...

I've wondered about building roads featuring self-leveling snap-in sections. Dispersed energy from traffic could be captured to operate its active self-leveling and status-reporting functions. When a section breaks - which like any road it will - a crew is notified, brings out a new section, pops out the old, installs the new within a few minutes, and moves on. No more long-term breakdowns, huge effort ripping out old road, long period rebuilding a replacement - all due to building asphalt/concrete roads as permanent structures which aren't.

Yes, up front costs are higher, but we've been building roads long enough to know there are substantial long term maintenance and replacement costs.

Re: The self-healing road

#12

Post by anonymousDan » Fri, Mar 08, 2013, 3:22 PM UTC

oneandoneis2 wrote: post #6

Interesting, but I was more impressed by the Solar Roadway idea, personally.. ( http://www.solarroadways.com/ )

Wow that is a really interesting concept. I particularly like the way it could be deployed incrementally. I'd still have concerns over the durability of the road (especially electronoic components). Theft might be an issue too.

Re: The self-healing road

#13

Post by ImprovedSilence » Fri, Mar 08, 2013, 4:30 PM UTC

ctdonath wrote: post #11

Given that roads are built as a permanent structure which isn't permanent, thus terribly hard to replace... I've wondered about building roads featuring self-leveling snap-in sections. Dispersed energy from traffic could be captured to operate its active self-leveling and status-reporting functions. When a section breaks - which like any road it will - a crew is notified, brings out a new section, pops out the old, i…

I don't know a lot about road building, but I always thought that is the point of jointed concrete roads.

Re: The self-healing road

#14

Post by Millennium » Fri, Mar 08, 2013, 4:37 PM UTC

How hot does the road have to get before the self-healing process kicks in? Would warmer climates even need the induction machine?

Re: The self-healing road

#15

Post by nidx » Fri, Mar 08, 2013, 5:39 PM UTC

The big problem with any additives is that asphalt is usually ripped up and recycled. These processes usually make it harder or impossible to recycle.

Re: The self-healing road

#16

Post by transfire » Fri, Mar 08, 2013, 6:57 PM UTC

It's been invented before. But it will never take b/c road construction companies do not want anything eating into their reoccurring revenue stream. Why do you think our roads are getting worse and worse?

Re: The self-healing road

#17

Post by sp332 » Fri, Mar 08, 2013, 9:38 PM UTC

ImprovedSilence wrote: post #13

ctdonath wrote: post #11

Given that roads are built as a permanent structure which isn't permanent, thus terribly hard to replace... I've wondered about building roads featuring self-leveling snap-in sections. Dispersed energy from traffic could be captured to operate its active self-leveling and status-reporting functions. When a section breaks - which like any road it will - a crew is notified, brings out a new section, pops out the old, i…

I don't know a lot about road building, but I always thought that is the point of jointed concrete roads.

Sure, and I've seen sidewalks made the same way, but you can't use concrete in the "salt belt" [0] because salt causes ridiculous amounts of pitting in concrete roads.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Belt

Re: The self-healing road

#18

Post by ImprovedSilence » Fri, Mar 08, 2013, 9:54 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #17

ImprovedSilence wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know a lot about road building, but I always thought that is the point of jointed concrete roads.

Sure, and I've seen sidewalks made the same way, but you can't use concrete in the "salt belt" [0] because salt causes ridiculous amounts of pitting in concrete roads. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Belt

Hm, what do states that get snow, but don't use salt do? Like CO for instance?

Also, I'm from PA, and pa/nj/ny are probably where i've seen the most concrete roads? (maybe that's why PA roads are so shitty compared to MD/VA?, besides the fact that they re-pave their roads every 2 years....)

Re: The self-healing road

#19

Post by sp332 » Fri, Mar 08, 2013, 9:59 PM UTC

ImprovedSilence wrote: post #18

sp332 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, and I've seen sidewalks made the same way, but you can't use concrete in the "salt belt" [0] because salt causes ridiculous amounts of pitting in concrete roads. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Belt

Hm, what do states that get snow, but don't use salt do? Like CO for instance? Also, I'm from PA, and pa/nj/ny are probably where i've seen the most concrete roads? (maybe that's why PA roads are so shitty compared to MD/VA?, besides the fact that they re-pave their roads every 2 years....)

Hm, http://www.pothole.info/2011/03/how-road-salt-leads-to-rough... and other sources I just Googled seem to agree that salt only affects concrete in certain situations. I guess there's some other reason we don't have concrete roads up in New Hampshire...