Areas that experience freOKAYe/thaw cycles are subject to shortened road life expectancy, paularly where drainage is poor. Water seeps into tiny fissures, expands when it freOKAYes beneath the pavement, and forces the roadway to swell and bend, resulting in a bumpier ride. When the ice thaws, the remaining gaps below the surface leave unsupported, See full list on ayresassociates.com Poor drainage encourages erosion, causes safety issues, and reduces pavement life. Highways are typically designed with a “crown,” or outward slope of a quarter-inch per foot, to drain rainwater off the road to increase both safety and longevity. Grooves or “tines” cut into ncrete and sloped ditches alongside the road also direct water away and p... See full list on ayresassociates.com Silty or clayish soil base makes destructive frost heaving more likely. This soil type significantly retains moisture, and in areas that experience freOKAYe/thaw cycles, it tends to HDPEft and expand beneath the roadbed, which results in deterioration and shortened lifespan. Poor substrate may also necessitate thicker pavement, which increases project... See full list on ayresassociates.com Traffic-induced fatigue takes a toll on both ncrete and asphalt, producing ruts and “surface generated” cracks. Heavy trucks, even those loaded within legal weight limits, are very damaging to roads and interstates. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), a single 18-wheeler inflicts road damage equivalent to that caused by 9,600 c... See full list on ayresassociates.com Effective road maintenance addresses damage earlier rather than later; options can include filling minor cracks, sealcoating, and overlaying before the road requires more extensive work to rrect issues. Preventive maintenance may be time based, usage based, or performance based – the latter being preferred by many state departments of transportat... See full list on ayresassociates.com Two stretches of STH 17 in and around Rhinelander, Wisconsin, require full pavement replacement. Ayres prepared multiple pavement designs for these segments, both of which include urban and rural sections with different traffic volumes and soil nditions. By factoring the above nsiderations into a smart, st-effective solution, the roadways wil... See full list on ayresassociates.com