CONCRETE ROADS

If the state of the transportation web of a country is at a sufficient level and standard, then that country is assumed to be socioeconomically developed. In our country land traffic is increasing at each day creating important problems in the superstructure. That is why optimum solutions must be produced in the project and construction stages of highway investments. One of the most important features expected from material to use in road constructions is the economic contribution to be supplied in fulfilling the conditions of the project. 

Technical Criteria :

• Conduction of the external load to the basal ground.  
• Traffic (Axle weight and number of repetition)
• Material selection
• Climate conditions
• The existing superstructure state in the country
• Comfort and safety

Economical Criteria :

• First construction cost
• Cost of maintenance  
• Fuel consumption
• Energy consumption
• Financial sources  

Apart from these, on the concrete roads :

• Long usage life,
• Low maintenance and repair expenses,  
• Short maintenance and repair time,
• Adaptability to environment and environmental health,
• Use of waste material
• Conformity to quality control processes
• Fuel consumption,
• Driving safety and comfort should be taken into consideration.  

The traffic signs may suddenly narrow the roads even when driving in highways that are supposed to have high standards. Then you are stuck to a single lane and try to overcome that part under repair in a painful manner.   The transformation of all the roads to molehills, falling apart of the recently made double road without even going through a winter, never-ending road repair works, bitter experiences we have gone through by the traffic accidents ended in loss of life and property are all proofs of the wrong transportation policy we have been leading.   

In fact, there is a way not to touch the road once you make them. The solution lies with concrete roads. The average lives of concrete roads are 34 years. This figure is twice the life of asphalt roads. It is a big mistake to insist on asphalt roads and keep on presenting the same product by combination of various alloys on which we spend serious amount of money for their maintenance and repair instead of the widely used concrete roads all around the world in highway nets. It is such a big loss for our country as well as our people's economy not to use concrete roads at remarkable extent. Concrete road, that have been in use for 100 years in America and over 75 years in Europe, apart from a few intracity and village road works, have not been evaluated in Turkey until now. The ratio of concrete roads in European countries is 15 %, in the USA and Canada 30 % and in some country highways 70 %.   

In Turkey, the rate of load transportation by railways and maritime lines is lower than many countries of the world. In load transportation the share of highways in Turkey is 92 % and in passenger transportation the ratio is 95 %. (Statistics from General Directorate of Highways)