Design of Rigid Road Pavement for Ainachiwadi Village in Patan Tahsil

Rigid pavements, though costly in initial investment, are cheap in long run because of low maintenance costs. There are various merits in the use of rigid pavements (Concrete pavements) are summarized below. Bitumen is derived from petroleum crude, which is in short supply globally and the price of which has been rising steeply. India imports nearly 70% of the petroleum crude. The demand for bitumen in the coming years is likely to grow steeply, far outstripping the availability. Hence it will be in India's interest to explore alternative binders. Cement is available in sufficient quantity in India, and its availability in the future is also assured. Thus cement concrete roads should be the obvious choice in future road programmes. Besides the easy available of cement, concrete roads have a long life and are practically maintenance-free. Another major advantage of concrete roads is the savings in fuel by commercial vehicles to an extent of 14-20%. The fuel savings themselves can support a large programme of concreting. Cement concrete roads save a substantial quantity of stone aggregates and this factor must be considered when a choice pavement is made, Concrete roads can withstand extreme weather conditions-wide ranging temperatures, heavy rainfall and water logging. Though cement concrete roads may cost slightly more than a flexible pavement initially, they are economical when whole-life-costing is considered. Reduction in the cost of concrete pavements can be brought about by developing semi-self-compacting concrete techniques and the use of closely spaced thin joints. Research and development R&D efforts should be initiated in this area.