Engineer touts benefits of concrete roads
JAMAICA could benefit from concrete road surfaces as they are more durable and cost less than asphalted roads, Desmond Young an engineer and a member of the Institute of Engineers told the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) Council meeting on Tuesday.
Young, who made the presentation to the council on behalf of Carib Cement Company, said that a growing number of developed countries were displaying a preference for concrete road surfaces.
In the United States, about 30 per cent of the highways had concrete surfaces, while Germany and the Netherlands were also constructing more concrete roads, he said. In the Caribbean, Young pointed to St Lucia and St Kitts which he said were using concrete to build roads on hilly terrain.
Roads made of concrete remained stable for 13-30 years compared to asphalted surfaces that lasted for six-20 years, the engineer added.
“Over time, concrete roads get better and the structural integrity remains, while asphalt surfaces deteriorate,” Young argued.
Outlining the advantages of concrete roads, he said they were environmentally friendly, have increased resistance to erosion from rains, are resistant to spills, and because cement is produced locally, there would be less importation of raw material which means less cost. Also, according to Young, the braking distance on concrete roads was shorter and tyres would last for a longer time.
He pointed out, too, that the same method and equipment used to build asphalt surfaces could be used for concrete roads.
Young said that institutions such as HEART could train people to construct concrete road surfaces as “they are not difficult to lay down”.