Efficient engines are only part of the story when it comes to getting more vehicle miles per gallon. How tires interact with pavement can make a big difference. Pavements need to be smooth and stiff, otherwise they inhibit the tires’ motion. This is often called “rolling resistance”. Researchers at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub have identified three main factors that can increase rolling resistance:
Roughness—how bumpy or smooth the road is … large-scale imperfections
Texture—created by aggregates … the measure of friction between the tire and the road
Deflection—the bending of the pavement under the weight of a vehicle when a road structure isn’t stiff enough.
The most recent advancement in concrete pavement surface technology is the Next Generation Concrete Surface—NGCS. NGCS was developed to meet the increasing demands of today’s driving public, as well as those living in the vicinity of dense roadway traffic. It is a cost-effective, super-smooth concrete surface with low-noise characteristics, making it an ideal sustainable solution for urban interstates, arterials and residential areas where resource conservation, safety and comfort are of concern.