Pavement, a road surface, is a long-lasting material laid down on an area to support vehicle traffic. Pavement is made up of various components and layers. Its primary function is distributing applied vehicular loads to the layers beneath it.
Groundwork, laying materials, and other steps are involved in constructing a road pavement. Groundwork is done to prepare subsurfaces for road construction to begin.
It is an important job that must be done correctly to make the road surface last longer. As a result, we should always hire a good groundwork specialist for this task.
Components Of Road Pavement Structure:
Following are the different components of road structure:- Subgrade
- Sub-base
- Base course
- Surface course or wearing course
All these components belong to a typical flexible pavement, whereas rigid pavement usually consists of a subgrade, subbase, and concrete slab..jpg)
1. Subgrade:
The finished and compacted surface of earthwork on which a road pavement rests is called subgrade or formation.
Depending on the topography and finalized formation level, a road's subgrade may be provided on an embankment, in cutting, or at existing ground level. It comprises well-compacted natural soil shaped to the desired camber and gradient.
Because the entire load of the pavement, including the load of traffic transmitted through the pavement, is eventually taken up by the subgrade, the thickness and type of pavement structure are determined by the supporting power of the subgrade.
2. Sub-base:
A layer of granular material provided between the subgrade and the base course in a road pavement is known as a sub-base.It is an additional layer when the subgrade is of poor quality. It comprises a layer of cheaper material like burnt clinker, natural gravel, or slag.
3. Base Course:
In the absence of a sub-base in road pavement, a base course, soling, or foundation course is a layer of boulders or bricks placed over the subbase or immediately over the subgrade.
Because it bears the impact of traffic transferred through the wearing course, this course is regarded as the most important and significant component of road structure.
It is constructed of sturdy materials such as boulders, gravel, one or two layers of well-burned bricks, and so on. This course is not available if the subgrade is rocky.
4. Surface Course Or Wearing Course:
The topmost layer of the road pavement directly exposed to traffic is known as the wearing course or surfacing.
It may consist of one or more layers in the case of flexible pavements. A good wearing course should be water and weather-resistant. It must be resistant to the abrasive action of traffic.
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Right of Way
The right of way in the area of land obtained and maintained for the construction and formation of the road along its arrangement/alignment.
Furthermore, the width of that obtained ground is known as land width, and it is dependent on/relies on the formation width, the slope of cuttings and embankments, the least sight distance on level/horizontal curves, the sewage/drainage system, and even the significance of the road and potential development.
Formation Width
Is the addition of widths of pavements or carriageways, separators, and shoulders if there is.
Road Margins
These are the land areas on either side of a carriageway/roadway. Frontage roads, transit lanes/parking lanes, access roads/driveways, bicycle paths/cycle tracks, pathways/footpaths, embankment slopes, and railings/guard rails are all components of the road edges/margins.
Pavement or carriageway Width
A carriageway is the width of a roadway designed for vehicular traffic movement; carriageway width is dependent on the traffic lane's width and the number of lanes required. The number of lanes required on a highway is determined by each path lane's expected/predicted transport capacity/traffic capacity. Furthermore, the lane width required is calculated using the basic/basis of the vehicle's width and the least lateral clearance/side clearance required for a safer drive.
Parking Lane
These are available on metropolitan roads to allow for curb parking. Furthermore, parallel parking should be permitted for as long/far as possible. The parking lane width must be sufficient.
Frontage Roads
These are offered to provide access to buildings/properties located all along a major highway. Furthermore, the frontage road could run parallel to/along the thoroughfare/highway and be separated by separators.
Drive Way
These connect the thoroughfare/highway to shops/business establishments/commercial establishments like service centers/stations, fueling/fuel stations, and others.
Cycle Track
These are available in metropolitan areas with a significant/high volume of cycle traffic on the road. The cycle path/track has a minimum width of 2 m and can be increased by 1 m for each additional track.
Footpath (Road's Components)
Footpaths are provided in metropolitan areas where heavy pedestrian and vehicle/motor traffic is to prevent accidents.
Guard Rails (Road Components)
Those are provided at the shoulder edge when the road is built on fill with a height greater than 3 m to prevent vehicles from moving/running along the path/track.
Shoulder [Road Components]
These are the roadway's external peripheries/edges, the uppermost/top surface peripheries/edges of the embankment, or the interior peripheries/edges of the side drain in lowering/narrowing/cutting. Those are available all along the road's periphery/edge for use in an emergency track/lane for vehicles that need to get/taken off the road/roadway or side of the road/pavement.
Minimum width of 4.6 m is required for a vehicle station at the shoulder's part/side to have a span/clearance of approximately 1.85 m from the road/pavement periphery/edge.
Side Slopes [Road's Components]
Side slopes within/in the road are designed in such a way as to keep the earthwork robust in lowering/narrowing/cutting or in the embankment. The type/nature of the soil in earthwork, weather conditions, drainage system/method offered, and other factors that influence the design of the side slope
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