Are rubber and concrete the panacea for our roads?

Experts push for ultra-thin concrete layer and natural-rubber modified bitumen

September 02, 2014 12:34 pm | Updated 12:34 pm IST - KOCHI

GCDA has not repaired Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road in Kochi. The revised deadline issued by the State government and the Collector to repair roads is September 5. — PHOTO: VIPIN CHANDRAN

GCDA has not repaired Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road in Kochi. The revised deadline issued by the State government and the Collector to repair roads is September 5. — PHOTO: VIPIN CHANDRAN

Could natural rubber or ultra-thin layer of concrete be the recipe for long-lasting roads?

Experts are pushing for an ultra-thin concrete layer over roads and natural-rubber modified bitumen to prolong the life of State’s roads.

They have cited the need to adopt alternative technologies since even roads built using bituminous macadam bituminous concrete (BMBC) method are fast giving away in adverse weather.

While officials of agencies that maintain roads blame rain and heavy traffic, technical experts blame unscientific construction methods, pilferage of materials and the reluctance to adopt newer road construction techniques for flaky roads.

Director of National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), B.G. Sreedevi, who also heads the agency’s highway engineering division, suggested use of natural rubber modified bitumen (NRMB) for road resurfacing works. “The initial cost is higher by around 20 per cent, but life-cycle cost is considerably lesser than roads surfaced using conventional bitumen,” she said.

It is well known that adding two to four percentage of natural rubber to bitumen (rubberised bitumen) is an excellent binder. The rubberised bitumen minimises deformation due to overload on the road. It is also unaffected by changes in atmospheric temperature and improves skid resistance.

Chairman of Kochi Corporation’s Town Planning standing committee and former Mayor K J Sohan suggested white topping of roads using an ultra-thin concrete layer as per Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines. “This method has been successfully tried out in Gujarat, Maharashtra etc.,. It is ideal for side roads that cater to heavy traffic. The technique can even be used in highways if the surface is coated with a thicker layer of concrete. It will also lessen need to pull down granite hills, helping the environment,” he said.

Former General Manager of Kerala State Construction Corporation (KSCC) Yacub Mohan George said most roads would outlive the rains if the right amount of bitumen was used. “Sadly, bitumen is diverted to other work sites or pilfered, despite scandals like tar-bill scam that rocked the State. Secondly, care must be taken so that water drains away from the road and does not form a pool on the carriageway,” he said.

Mr Yacub also suggested adding cement to bitumen, by which the surface becomes more impervious to water seepage.

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