Or that asphalt and concrete perform differently in weather conditions? Senior research scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center Tom Yager recently explained the science behind highway design.
Water will build up when roads don’t have proper drainage, making vehicles hydroplane or slip off the road. Road engineers add grooves on the pavement’s surface and slopes along the edges to direct precipitation safely off the road.
While there are several ways to add grooved texture to road surfaces, two are most prevalent. With “longitudinal tining,” road workers use a rake and make shallow channels in the wet concrete. The “Diamond grooving” technique of using a diamond-tip saw blade to cut quarter-inch slices into the pavement, which helps increase friction. Grooves are placed no more than 1½ inches apart, since closely spaced grooves increase drainage and improve traction.
Asphalt is easier to apply and more flexible than concrete, which explains why you see road crews rolling out asphalt to repair potholes in the winter. That comes at a cost, as asphalt deteriorates more quickly than concrete, a process that is hastened by moisture and temperature changes.
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