The 6 Steps Of ‘Traditional’ Road Construction And Maintenance

Building a road may not initially seem like a very complex process to the uninitiated. However, there is significantly more work involved than laypeople may be aware of going on behind the scenes. Today, we are going to take a look at the six traditional steps associated with road construction and maintenance, and examine how the approach can save significant amounts of time and capital throughout the process:

Planning
The first step in any road construction and maintenance project is properly planning and evaluating the needs it is intended to serve. Local traffic patterns both current and future should be studied, and a cost-benefit analysis should be performed by private organizations to ensure they will actually receive good value for their investment in construction. Potential funding, legal, and environmental issues will be brought up at this time as well to address in advance.

Design
The next phase in a typical construction and maintenance project is the design. Surveyors will physically visit the site and use laser technology to pinpoint the alignment, shape, and direction of the road. Location, terrain and soil properties, potential water access and drainage issues, and the potential for future expansion in the immediate physical vicinity are all addressed during this portion of the project, as well as potential impact on nearby residents, if any.

Earthworks
The earthworks are the first step that most people would recognize as part of a road construction and maintenance project on sight. The intent of this step is to provide a firm, stable foundation that the pavement will then rest on top of. If the earthworks are not executed correctly, the road surface will definitely experience premature failure at some point. Embankments, leveling, fill, compacting, drainage and sewers are all installed and inspected before the project continues – the final step is typically placing 12 inches of gravel on the bed before a final series of compactions to reach the desired height. Employing soil stabilization and dust control products can dramatically cut costs and time spent on this phase of a project.

Laying Pavement
Most modern road construction and maintenance projects employ either asphalt or concrete for this purpose, though this is slowly changing as organizations realize the benefits of alternative solutions. The physical surface of the road is created, smoothed, and trimmed off to the appropriate level, then sealed, connected, and reinforced to prevent cracks in the future.

QC
After the surface is successfully constructed, typically another battery of quality control tests will be performed to close out the road construction and maintenance project before it is truly considered finished. Drainage will be checked again, grading levels, landscaping and rehabilitation, and everything else. If all tests get positive results, the road can be opened and is ready to use.

Maintenance
Over time, traffic and environmental effects will damage traditional road surfaces, which require rehabilitation. Life expectation of road construction and maintenance projects varies from country to country, but a standard expectation of several decades of service can be expected, with major rehabilitation efforts performed every ten years or so.

Source: globalroadtechnology