geekhack Community > Other Geeky Stuff
Car Thread
Maledicted:
--- Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 11 March 2022, 08:40:42 ---
--- Quote from: Maledicted on Fri, 11 March 2022, 07:56:58 ---
a road that just changes from one to the other
--- End quote ---
Out in rural areas it happens, either because they paved just so far and ran out of time, materials, and/or money, or else because sections of paving deteriorated and were "repaired" with gravel only.
BTW, if it was actual "tarmac" (ie tar macadamized stone) it is more difficult to install and much more difficult to repair than ordinary asphalt
https://ethomasdevelopments.ie/difference-between-tarmac-and-asphalt.html
--- End quote ---
I live in a city of 30k, which is surrounded for miles by farms and countryside. The closest city of a comparable size is at least 10 miles away. In any other direction the distance is much greater. The freeway literally ends at my town and every other road in or out is a county/rural road. This is Wisconsin, so the whole state is mostly rural ... with cities basically just cut out of one giant forest. If you can get a few stories up, the city itself is indistinguishable from forest ... which is all you can see in all directions. I have never seen a transition like that in the middle of a road that would ordinarily be used as a thoroughfare for people passing through. Plenty of gravel or dirt roads around, but they always begin and end at a crossroads.
I haven't even seen it way up north near moose country, not that I make it up there that often.
--- Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 11 March 2022, 09:30:40 ---In the US, many people often use the almost-meaningless term "blacktop" to refer to any non-rigid paving (ie non-concrete) but nowadays probably 98%+ of that is asphalt.
Although it takes a sizeable (and expensive) equipment to mix and spread asphalt, it is usually the most cost-effective method paving. And since it is "flexible" it does not crack and spall as much as "rigid" concrete.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macadam
--- End quote ---
Have you worked in construction, or have you just done research on the subject? I'm sure you're right. I think the home I grew up in still has a blacktop driveway, so that probably didn't help the development of my vernacular.
We like to use as much concrete as we can up here. The ground has to be perfectly settled and level before laying it, but then it lasts much longer than asphalt here. The snowplows tear up the asphalt, water seeps in, the water expands when it freezes and starts splitting the asphalt apart. There are asphalt roads here that have basically become cobblestone as a result and properly laid concrete slabs of about the same age that are almost completely intact.
Sniping:
Geez that's terrible, I'm glad you're alright. Well, at least now you have the opportunity to own another car!
fohat.digs:
--- Quote from: Maledicted on Fri, 11 March 2022, 14:07:57 ---
Have you worked in construction
We like to use as much concrete as we can up here. The ground has to be perfectly settled and level before laying it, but then it lasts much longer than asphalt here. The snowplows tear up the asphalt, water seeps in, the water expands when it freezes and starts splitting the asphalt apart. There are asphalt roads here that have basically become cobblestone as a result and properly laid concrete slabs of about the same age that are almost completely intact.
--- End quote ---
Yes, I have spent most of my adult life in construction - in the Southeast where weather is much more kind.
Personally, I love concrete and would prefer it in almost any circumstance. That said, as in most construction, the quality of the job equals the quality of the preparation.
Any paving requires a good, strong, thick, WELL-DRAINED base. A good road should have several inches of gravel, resting on firm stable soil under the surfacing material.
Good concrete has steel reinforcing and appropriate expansion joints. With those components it can sometimes survive being shorted in other areas, including less-than-optimal bases.
Asphalt needs a good solid base and without it will behave as you describe. The cheapest and fastest way to pave is to put down a (?) layer of gravel and spread a (?) layer of asphalt over it. Unless those layers are each multiple inches thick it will fail pretty quickly in a cold climate.
"Sunk cost" may be coming into play in your area. If someone goes to the trouble and expense to prepare a good proper base, the incremental extra cost of concrete surface over asphalt is not so great.
In warmer climates that don't see as much freezing and heave, but have greater summer heat, the flexibility of asphalt becomes more advantageous.
dieudonnecarries:
My favorite is just Skyline. Although at the mention of Skyline, most people remember a wide coupe exclusively with four red circles of rear lights, the car was also produced in a sedan body. Although in such kind, it somewhat loses in aggressiveness and also in gracefulness, characteristic features of appearance together with in-line "six" cannot be taken away from it. By the way, those ready to give up an effective appearance for practicality can look at related models such as Laurel and Stagea. One can have a look at the dealer https://www.jdmbuysell.com/dealers/. These sedans and station wagons are not identical to the Skyline technically. Still, they also got six-cylinder engines and even all-wheel drive.
noisyturtle:
Almost 40, and have still never owned a vehicle despite desperately wanting one, being super into cars, and having my life made actively worse by public transit.
It's like a universal joke at this point. How does everyone have/afford a car but me? I just don't understand.
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