Highway Engineering: Road Construction Development

Road Construction Development

• Human activities have led to the need for transportation, resulting in the development of roads and highways over time.
• The invention of the wheel in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC and the development of the axle contributed to the evolution of civilizations.
• The earliest roads were built using natural asphalt as a binder by the Babylonians, and the Egyptians constructed roads to transport stones during the building of the pyramids around 3000 BC.

Historical Road Construction

• The Chinese built the Silk Route, one of the best-known roads, around 2600 BC, which connected China and Europe.
• In Europe, roads were built using log-rafts around 2500 BC, with examples found in Britain, Swiss Lakeside Villages, and Hungary.
• The Indian civilization built brick-paved roads with proper piped surface water drainage systems around 3000 BC.

Roman Empire's Road Construction

• The Roman Empire built professional roads around 312 BC, with 29 major radial roads connecting Rome to other cities and encampments.
• The Roman roads system extended over 78,000 km, with a loop from Spain to Turkey and Syria, and represented the most organized roads system until the 17th century in Europe.

Post-Roman Empire Road Construction

• The development of the coach in the 16th century led to the start of stagecoach services between Edinburgh and Leith in 1610.
• The British Parliament responded to the pressure of manufacturing industries by passing statutes to improve and extend the road network, resulting in over 1,100 Turnpike Trusts created by 1706.

18th Century Road Construction

• Robert Phillips suggested a solid road surface of a beaten gravel layer resting on a well-drained base in 1736.
• John Metcalf built 290 km of roads in Yorkshire, emphasizing good foundation and drainage, and using a sub-base raft of bundled heather on weak ground.

Scottish Road Engineers

• Thomas Telford and John Macadam contributed to the development of road construction methods, with Telford's method shaping the formation to the road camber, and Macadam's method being a cheaper form of construction.

Road Development Renewal

• After the end of World War One, attention to road development was renewed, driven by the development of motor vehicles.
• The development of vehicles led to the need for new roads and highways, resulting in the construction of dual carriageway roads and advancements in road geometric designs.

Pavement Structures

• The main purpose of pavement layers is to minimize stresses generated by traffic on the subgrade to prevent deformations.
• Modern pavement structures can be flexible, rigid, or a composite of both, with different materials and layers used depending on the design decision, site characteristics, and availability of materials.

Flexible Pavement Courses

• Flexible pavement courses may include base, binder, and surface courses, with the base course being the main structural element.
• The surface course is exposed to weather and traffic actions, and must provide high riding quality and sufficient skid resistance.

Global Road Construction

• Flexible pavements represent the majority of paved roads globally, with over 90% of roads and highways in Europe and North America surfaced with flexible pavements.

Human Development and Transportation

• Human activities have continuously developed and increased over time.
• The need to transport people and goods has arisen as a result of this growth.

The Invention of the Wheel and its Impact

• The wheel was invented in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC.
• The development of the axle, which linked two wheels together, was a key innovation.
• The invention of the wheel and axle facilitated communication between different communities.
• It increased the exchange of goods and the sharing of ideas and experiences, contributing to the evolution of civilizations.