VIDEO: Concrete paving - you’ve come a long way, baby!

It’s 1948. The grand scheme of creating an Interstate Highway system in the US is still barely a twinkle in President Dwight Eisenhower’s military eye. Highway construction improved greatly in the late 1950s and early 1960s as the American contractors became more mechanized and therefore efficient at laying roads faster and of better quality. But how did they build a road back then in 1948? Thanks to Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, we have a movie of just how a concrete highway was created. The constr
July 14, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
It’s 1948. The grand scheme of creating an Interstate Highway system in the US is still barely a twinkle in President Dwight Eisenhower’s military eye. Highway construction improved greatly in the late 1950s and early 1960s as the American contractors became more mechanized and therefore efficient at laying roads faster and of better quality.

But how did they build a road back then in 1948?

Thanks to Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, we have a movie of just how a concrete highway was created. The construction site looked more like a chain gang from a nearby prison that a professionally done infrastructure project.

Viewers just might be able to feel the sun’s heat as workers toil into the long day.

If this video piqued your curiosity about road building projects back then, %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal click here Visit youtube Page false https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neaoGclvips false false%> to see a 1951 film from the Bethlehem Steel Company. Things have apparently moved on since 1948 and steel is making inroads. At least this film is in colour.

Related Content

  • Hamm rolls out new range
    April 17, 2012
    Hamm has launched the smallest combination roller in the HD CompactLine roller range, the HD10C VT1m. With a working width of just a metre and weighing 1.5tonnes, the new model is being launched with a permanent all-wheel drive as standard.
    Read More
  • Less damage for a low cost with SKF’s new development
    January 6, 2017
    More machines, both mobile and stationary, are using centralised lubrication which helps to ensure that all points receive the required amount of lubrication, as lack of it could result in expensive bearing damage. Escaping lubricant can have a significant negative impact on the environment, and can also incur expensive clean-up and disposal costs. SKF has developed the Lincoln Hose Connection Control, which can be operated between -50 to +70 OC, this unit shows immediately and reliably when damage occurs.
    Read More
  • Less damage for a low cost with SKF’s new development
    February 13, 2013
    More machines, both mobile and stationary, are using centralised lubrication which helps to ensure that all points receive the required amount of lubrication, as lack of it could result in expensive bearing damage. Escaping lubricant can have a significant negative impact on the environment, and can also incur expensive clean-up and disposal costs. SKF has developed the Lincoln Hose Connection Control, which can be operated between -50 to +70 OC, this unit shows immediately and reliably when damage occurs.
    Read More
  • The new Doosan large excavators offer increased performance
    January 28, 2013
    Weighing in at 42-43.3tonnes depending on specification, the new Doosan DX420LC-3 excavator is Stage IIIB/Tier 4 Interim compliant and offers significant benefits over the model it replaces. Improvements include an increase in power, boosting overall productivity and the machine can be used in heavy-duty applications such as earthmoving, demolition and quarrying.
    Read More

Highlighted Content