Concrete Roads are Subject to Less Seasonal Damage as Compared to Asphalt Roads

Spring is the season when the resistance of concrete is most important. According to a survey executed in Canada by AASHTO - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 61 % of asphalt roads are damaged in spring conditions. Whereas the damage rate for concrete under the same conditions is only 5.5 %. Asphalt is more affected in the beginnings of winter and spring seasons from freezing-thawing, expansion-contraction reactions.  

Load Carrying Capacity of Concrete Roads is High

Concrete roads spread out the load to a wider area than the asphalt roads and conducts to the base ground. In other words the carrying power does not depend on the base ground. In the flexible asphalt coats the load is directly and without loosing much force is conducted to the lower layers, thus requires more layers in quantity and thickness. That is why the concrete roads give better results as compared with asphalt roads coated on weak base grounds. Furthermore concrete roads can be prepared in such a way to resist all kinds of effects.       
Asphalt, a visco elastic material is highly affected by temperature changes. Asphalt softens in summer and becomes brittle in winter. When the volatile components in asphalt are lost their binding character is lost and the material turns out to be old. On the rigid silica based concrete coatings, the heat does not have any negative effect. In concrete coatings the only constrain is the thermal length change and may require necessary measures (expiation joint etc.). 

Concrete Roads can be built in Every Season and Under All Conditions

In asphalt applications, the ground should be dry and the temperature should be at least 15 degrees. Since asphalt applications cannot be executed in low temperatures and rainy days the building and repairs season is short. Concrete road applications, contrary to asphalt, can be carried out in all weather conditions, including wet ground. Asphalt paving must be executed at a certain temperature and pressed by a cylinder. Concrete coatings need to be settled by vibrators and requirement for any temperature is out of question.  

Concrete Roads do not Damage the Natural and Urban Environments

In the building and application stages of asphalt coatings bitumen, a derivative of petroleum, needs to be heated and aggregate to go through drying process leading to environmental pollution at a certain extent. Some asphalt materials that are used for binding purposes in the asphalt roads contain volatile substances and evaporation of these substances by time cause embrittlement. Asphalt that looses the major part of its qualities and specialities with this aging also reflect changes in its chemical structure when reacts with gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, grease and salt that may accidentally spill on the surface. The situation that causes the coatings to change in the negative sense and lead, most of the time, to enormous dangers in road safety and to environmental pollution. On the other hand, the binding material of concrete is cement and does not contain any volatile substance. Therefore, aging and embrittlement is out of question for concrete roads.

Concrete Roads have Shorter Stopping Distance

Sliding friction coefficient of concrete coatings is high (Sliding is resistant). Friction coefficient of concrete roads lengthwise is 0.70, widthwise it is approximately 0.65. As the road surface is smooth rain water easily flows and the surface quickly dries. When you think of driver's safety, the structure of concrete road becomes more of an issue. Bulges and cavities constituted on asphalt hold more water in rainy days that may lead to a great potential for water sliding. Besides, the accumulated water may freeze in cold weathers. A car at 100 km/hour can stop at 49 metres on a dry, smooth concrete road, but the distance for asphalt road is 58 metres. On wet surfaces these figures increase to 96 even 109 metres. 

Especially on rainy days, the rough surface of concrete coating presents a shorter stopping distance as compared to asphalt surfaces. In hot weather, the asphalt softens and the tyre marks constituted on the surface become permanent and the smoothness of the surface is spoiled.