r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Nov 03 '19

Chemistry Scientists replaced 40 percent of cement with rice husk cinder, limestone crushing waste, and silica sand, giving concrete a rubber-like quality, six to nine times more crack-resistant than regular concrete. It self-seals, replaces cement with plentiful waste products, and should be cheaper to use.

https://newatlas.com/materials/rubbery-crack-resistant-cement/
97.2k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

20

u/leno95 Nov 03 '19

This is down to suitability and the requirements of the road. RC roads and pavements are better in some scenarios, and tarmac/asphalt are better in others.

RC roads will be far more expensive even when replacement and maintenance is considered, but that's a balance that is typically weighed up prior to building it.

8

u/McVoteFace Nov 03 '19

Not when they go to the MEPDG design software and 22” of asphalt has the same service life as 11” of concrete.

In my state, maintenance costs for asphalt are more expensive than concrete. That gets into present value cost comparison and is subjective