What makes asphalt and concrete perform differently in weather conditions? Senior research scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center Tom Yager answered those questions when he recently detailed the science behind highway design.
Water can build up when roads don’t feature the proper drainage, which could make vehicles hydroplane or slip off the road. Adding grooves to the pavement’s surface and slopes along the edges will help direct precipitation safely off the road.
There are several ways to add grooved texture to road surfaces, but two are most common. The “Diamond grooving” technique of using a diamond-tip saw blade to cut quarter-inch slices into the pavement, which helps increase friction. In “longitudinal tining,” road workers use a rake and make shallow channels in the wet concrete. In both methods, grooves are placed no more than 1½ inches apart, as closely spaced grooves increase drainage and improve traction.
Asphalt is far easier to apply and much more flexible than concrete, which is why road crews roll out asphalt to repair potholes in the winter. However, asphalt also deteriorates more quickly than concrete -- a process that is hastened by moisture and temperature changes.
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