Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

To: 2ndDivisionVet
According to a recent BBC study, production of cement has increased thirtyfold since 1950, and a further fourfold since 1990, driven in part by postwar building in Europe, and building booms across Asia from the 1990s onwards. It is predicted that to keep pace with demands in South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, cement production may have to increase by 25% by 2030.

Of course the CO2 hysteria is all BS but the first thing that needs to be done to slow the growth of concrete use in this country is to start making road and bridge concrete in the US more durable.

Here in the rust belt winter road salt use destroys concrete and asphalt roads and bridges.

Typical, low cost concrete is porous to water. Water laden with road salt enters the concrete and eventually the salt recrystallizes and cracks the concrete.

Concrete mixtures can be made that are not porous. But they are more expensive. However, the reduction in road maintenance would more that make up the difference in lifetime cost of the road or bridge.

Just stopping the use of lime stone aggregate in road and bridge concrete would make a huge difference.

13 posted on 10/26/2019 12:09:22 AM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: Pontiac
You could also add that Hitler's Autobahn is insanely thick, with a massively stiff concrete mix, without a lot of aggregate to make it cheaper.

Back When, I watched a multi-ton paving machine actually get lifted off the ground because the mix it was trying to compress, distribute and smooth out was so stiff.

There are too many locally connected highway construction companies that depend on constant road repair and replacement contracts, let by someone's brother-in law with the county highway commission, for the US to build durable interstates, let alone secondary roads.

The Left/Climate types want to limit highway use to Party Members, anyhow, so CO2 outgassing is just another excuse.

15 posted on 10/26/2019 12:33:02 AM PDT by jonascord (First rule of the Dunning-Kruger Club is that you do not know you are in the Dunning-Kruger club.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies ]

To: Pontiac

Road salt destroys vehicles fast, too. I noticed that on much of the Colorado Rockies, no salt was used on roads. Sand and sometimes another chemical (don’t know what) were used on tight curves and switchbacks on passes. Ice tires made with new tech and directional tread work really well on any ice that vehicles can drive on at all—that is, as long as the ice isn’t too warm and wet for anything.


19 posted on 10/26/2019 12:51:55 AM PDT by familyop ("Welcome to Costco. I love you." - -Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson