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Is Concrete Paving the Answer to the Pothole Pox?

23 February 1999

Is Concrete Paving the Answer to the Pothole Pox? Yes, Says California Cement Promotion Council

    DANVILLE, Calif., Feb. 22 -- El Nino of 1998 may be history,
but a legacy of potholes is gaining in scope and numbers in this 1999 winter
of torrential downpours, ice storms and temperature extremes.
    Left un-repaired, potholes are more than an annoyance. They can generate
costly vehicle repairs and pose threats to health and driver safety. Here are
some current examples:

    * Commuters on asphalt concrete Interstate 80 near San Francisco have
      filed claims with the state for reimbursement of repair bills for
      vehicle damage from potholes.
    * A network television news anchor has reported that an expectant father
      in Chicago, who was racing the stork to the hospital in a city tunnel,
      hit a pothole and blew a tire. Fortunately, a 911 call brought help with
      the delivery, and all was well.
    * A big city auto repair business lists typical charges of up to $125 for
      a new tire, $350 for a cracked wheel, $60/$80 for a wheel alignment and
      up to $2,500 for damage to the steering.

    Potholes can generate medical bills as well as repair bills when accidents
occur. Safe driving experts emphasize that a sudden swerve to avoid one can
cause a more serious accident than just plowing ahead.
    Drivers are also urged not to brake suddenly for a pothole. Experts warn
that locking brakes puts more stress on a tire than rolling over the pothole.
    Eliminating potholes by repairing or reconstructing highways raises the
issue of portland cement concrete versus asphalt concrete. California road
designers have historically opted for asphalt as less costly and faster to
install.
    There are important differences between the two products. Asphalt concrete
weakens with age. When undercut by water, it cracks, breaks apart and produces
potholes. Concrete, on the other hand, strengthens with age and hardens
through chemical reaction with water.
    "Concrete pavement does not have potholes. If a crack occurs, a
fast-setting mix can repair that section and allow traffic as soon as four
hours," says Dave Holman, a professional engineer who runs the California
Cement Promotion Council (CCPC).
    Advances are being made in "fast setting concrete," according to Holman.
He says engineers count on concrete pavement lasting twice as long as asphalt,
without asphalt's repeated maintenance or major repairs.
    Another pothole preventive measure is "whitetopping," a paving process
that layers concrete over aging asphalt for a stronger, longer-lived street
and cuts maintenance costs by 25 percent.
    The Council is currently a partner with the city of Santa Monica in an
unprecedented whitetopping project in a semi-residential neighborhood to test
traffic impacts, Holman reports.
    The cement industry is also working with the California Department of
Transportation and University of California Berkeley to develop a "high early
strength" concrete that will speed up replacement of aging freeways.
    "There is more than one way to fight the pothole pox, and the cement
industry is working hard to find the most effective methods. We can celebrate
with long-suffering commuters when we do," Holman promises.