The number and quality of roads indicates not only the well-being of a community (big city or a small village), but the development of the country as a whole. Where should we start the construction work? The construction of highways is a complex multi—stage process that requires large financial and physical costs. The primary task is to choose a reliable contractor with a qualified team of professionals and specialized equipment. A specialist will make a list of measures to complete the task and calculate the cost of work.
Stages of highway construction
A well-made highway must meet the necessary standards — key to safety and comfort not only for drivers, but also for pedestrians. The first stage of any construction is design, then construction plan is developed. Subsequent work can be divided into the following stages:
topographic survey and site layout. The specialists of the contractor carry out geodetic works on the ground, measure the territory and analyze the relief, determine the depth of groundwater and the type of soil;
preparatory work. At this stage, the terrain is cleared, communications are transferred, and all kinds of obstacles that can interfere with the construction of the road are eliminated;
cost estimates and purchase of necessary materials;
earthworks. For high—quality construction, first of all, the relief of the territory is eliminated, the soil is leveled, if necessary, the earthfills or depressions are constructed. For this purpose, specialized equipment is used;
installation of a drainage system. During the construction of a new road, a mandatory step is the installation of a drainage system to ensure the safe removal of water from the road surface for a sufficient distance;
laying the foundation mattress. A properly laid foundation is the key to a successful end result of road construction. The matress serves as a cushioning layer and smoothes the mechanical impact on the road surface. A sand and -gravel separately or in mixture are used for this. Specialists lay materials in layers, carefully level and tamp with special equipment;
laying the finishing layer and marking the road. The use of modern innovative technologies ensures high quality of the road surface. After laying the roadbed, the highway is prepared for the opening of traffic: markings are applied to its surface, signs are installed, and so on.
If necessary, a temporary bypass road is being built before the start of the planned road works. It is constructed in the form of an embankment of the height specified in the working draft. After the construction is completed, the bypass will be dismantled.
The top coating is the key to the durability and reliability of the road
The upper layer of the road is subject to the greatest wear: it is daily under pressure from a large mass of passing cars. Therefore, the reliability and durability of the highway directly depends on how professionally the construction work was carried out and what materials were used. There are the following common types of road surfaces:
asphalt concrete. This type of laying in construction is also called a "road pie" (because -of its layering). The layered distribution of crushed stone, sand, stone flour and molten asphalt helps the surface to withstand heavy transport loads. The number of layers depends on many factors, for example, the degree of traffic congestion. The addition of a material such as crushed stone to the mixture gives the coating high wear and water resistance. Due to the rough structure of the rubble, the necessary friction between the road and the tire is provided, which prevents the car from towing;
cast asphalt. a viscous mixture prepared under the influence of high temperature conditions from the same materials as the asphalt concrete coating. It is delivered to the construction site in special containers to maintain the temperature, since it is the hot mixture that is poured into the place of the future road. Such asphalt is able to withstand heavy transport loads, has high wear resistance, and resists corrosion from the effects of tires with spikes and reagents that prevent slipping in winter.
Special equipment used in the construction of a highway
Specialized equipment helps to optimize work processes, save time and labor costs. The use of modern technologies is impossible without special equipment. In addition, special equipment used for the construction of asphalt roads has a great impact on the final result. In order to complete the tasks efficiently and on time, a standard set of special vehicles is usually used, namely:
the excavator, it is used to transport bulk materials (crushed stone, sand, etc.) and to move soil;
a bulldozer, special vehicle used for clearing the surface and its layout, transporting and cutting soil;
a grader, the purpose is to plan the base and arrange the roadbed during road construction;
an asphalt paver, main functions are the distribution and tamping of asphalt concrete mix on a pre-prepared roadbed;
road roller—a special machine is used for compacting and tamping asphalt;
concrete mixers are used for the manufacture of concrete mixtures.
In addition, special equipment used for road construction is quite expensive, so it is more profitable for many enterprises and organizations to use the rental service. This will help to avoid the costs associated not only with the purchase, maintenance and repair of their own special vehicles, but also with equipment downtime after the completion of road construction, as well as with the payment of salaries to additional maintenance personnel.
The constantly expanding network of highways requires the introduction of innovative technologies and developments related to road construction. The use of high-quality materials and modern special equipment allows not only to significantly reduce the cost of work, but also to build reliable and safe highways.