Durability, the absence of deformations and a low level of maintenance when the road structure has been correctly designed and implemented are the features which are generally unanimously approved as regards the qualities of cement concrete surfacing. In contrast, comfort and driving noise are the characteristics which lead to the most controversy. A great deal of significant progress has been made in these areas in recent decades and we can notably think of improvements in surface treatments (super-smoothing beam and chemical stripping), the use of fine granulates and fine draining concrete. In this instance, the options for an experimental twin-layer continuously reinforced concrete surfacing were defined so that the problem referred to could be tackled more effectively. The main variable was the size of the upper-layer granulates. Comfort measurements (longitudinal profile analyser) and a series of acoustic soundings will make it possible to evaluate the appropriateness and efficiency of the construction approaches selected. For the covering abstract see ITRD E135448.
Abstract