What other materials can we pave our roads to extend the life of a road?

The ashes of the honourless dead.

We could pave them with love and happy thoughts, but personally I doubt anything is going to change any time soon, My advice: get used to the potholes.

Wow, anyone else think I came off like a jerk? Sorry, my tone is conveying amusement but trying to answer seriously… I was not trying to be an ass.

Not terribly creative, but I remember hearing years ago about an asphalt that was made predominantly of used tires. It was so durable, the paving companies would be in danger of losing work, with no repairs to speak of. Thus, no one bought it, and the product died.

I have no source. I think it was a science teacher in high school who told me about it.

@Seek_Kolinahr They make an alternative to the usual roll on blacktop that is used for parking lots and driveways, and it’s made of used tires. It’s not suitable as asphalt though.

Regardless of type, my problem with the roll on blacktops is that they are so highly toxic, and the dust that comes of of them is then brought inside on shoes. Because it’s a fine dust, it gets into everything (food, etc.) Nasty stuff.

As for an alternative, an extensive train system is one.

@Seek_Kolinahr . . . Used tires have been part of the asphalt recipe in Illinois since the ‘70s. We have some of the worst roads in the nation.

Meh, I don’t doubt it. Just something I heard once.

Yeah, you can’t use too much too make the paving either. There is a chemical reaction that occurs and you basically end up with a stretch of road that is a smoldering tire fire.

Donald Trump’s hairspray, that stuff works miracles, looks shit, but lasts forever.

There are a few stretches of brick road in my area, and I assume they’re really old, so I assume they last much longer than asphalt and concrete.

Even if its more durable, I imagine (from the noise) it’s hard on tires. And installation has to be extremely labor intensive and thus extremely expensive.

They slow traffic (a bonus on residential streets), so I don’t think they’re a good solution for interstates. But maybe the durability will spark ideas.

How about ground up plastic bags.

With far better intentions than the ones that pave the road to you-know-where.

I think if we in invested in maintaining our infrastructure we might be happy with what we’ve got.

This idea is environmental rather than for road longevity, and would require technological advances, but I dream of the day we pave our roads with solar panels, using that space productively.

Years ago I saw a show that talked about road aggregate that had recycled tire in it. Held up better to weather changes and some other benefits. Lobbyists and unions blocked it being used in at least some states. It might be used in some though, I don’t know all the details. See, if you lay down roads that don’t crack from weather and weight pressure you will need fewer repairs. Fewer repairs less work for the repairmen and less purchasing of new road material.

Drives me crazy.

Often times it’s the ground conditions way below the surface that influences how long the road lasts. All that can be addressed but time after time it is the cost to make roads durable that stops that. Anyone here deal with frost heaves in the winter? It won’t matter what the surface is. When the ground buckles way down,it messes up everything.

@woodcutter Supposedly, the rubber from the tire allows for more give in the road.