Newly constructed low-noise asphalt surface fails

Questions are being asked over the construction of a new section of the A1 autobahn in Germany. The highway stretch is being scrutinised due to surface failures and lies close to the city of Bremen but has been open for less than three months.
May 15, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Questions are being asked over the construction of a new section of the A1 autobahn in Germany.

The highway stretch is being scrutinised due to surface failures and lies close to the city of Bremen but has been open for less than three months.

The road carries around 70,000 vehicles/day and its construction was intended to reduce congestion between the port cities of Hamburg and Bremen. Numerous potholes are reported to have appeared in the surface of the highway. Given the recent severe weather, failures of older road surfaces are expected but these problems should not occur on links that have been so recently completed.

The investigations will focus on how water penetration into joints could have already caused the freeze-thaw process to break up the running surface or whether other problems such as material segregation or incorrect mix design could have been factors. The low-noise asphalt surface is crumbling at various points along the 73km section recently opened.

Asphalt milling, paving & compaction Highway & Network Management

Related Content

  • UK universities' research shows potholes can be fixed better
    February 14, 2013
    Academic research by two UK universities shows that patch repairs on potholes could be far more durable if a few simple techniques were consistently used. An initial study - undertaken by Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham in central England– found that the application of a coat of bitumen emulsion between two layers of asphalt in a clean, dry repair, greatly improved its resistance to further cracks. It was also confirmed that a hot mix repair – in which asphalt is heated to 140°C
    Read More
  • Hamburg-Finkenwerder airport has new runway surface
    August 21, 2013
    Hamburg’s Finkenwerder airport is now benefiting from a new runway surface following work carried out by contractor KEMNA BAU. The company recently used machines from Dynapac to resurface 36,000m2 of the runway track in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, a facility used by Airbus. The airport handles around 10-15 take-offs and landings/day when aircraft are either undergoing flight testing or being delivered to customers, as well as for deliveries of components by transport aircraft. The project was tricky as the
    Read More
  • Road transport key to Africa's trade links
    February 17, 2012
    Road transport is the key to improving Africa's links within its own territory, and further afield as Patrick Smith reports. Development of road transportation is the key to the future of the African economy, and countries on the continent are making great strides. According to a report by a transport infrastructure expert at the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), within the next 15 years the value of trade in Africa could reach US$250 billion if a $32 billion investment is made to integrate
    Read More
  • Managing urban motorway complexity in Sydney
    October 4, 2012
    Sydney’s Hills M2 motorway is being widened while still carrying traffic and meeting tough environmental criteria More than 100,000 vehicles and over 27,000 bus commuters use the Hills M2 motorway on a typical workday, making it one of Sydney’s busiest motorway corridors. Owned and managed by Hills Motorway Ltd (HML) and a key part of the city’s orbital motorway network, the road stretches over 21km, providing a seamless link between the Lane Cove Tunnel and Westlink M7. The Hills M2 Upgrade is one of many
    Read More

Highlighted Content