Tyres/noisy Roads?wearing Out Too Fast?

[Chris Skelton]

Roads in UK are DELIBERATELY noisy , supposedly to discourage us from speeding (FACT!!) But if the roads are rougher, then logic says that tyres will wear out faster. So it's unecological, as well as environmentally unsound. Good for no one but tyre firms? Do tyres last longer in Germany, were roads are smooth and silent? Does anyone know?

In Bristol a few years ago, there was a great fuss - on a few bits of road - about the new, quiet surfacing they were using, that wore as well, drained well, AND was quiet. Well, quietly, they've stopped using it too!! WHY?

Suspect some 'word from above'/Central govt edict? (Am waiting for heavies- ring on bell as I type!)

Someone please copy this to Jeremy Clarkson; then we may find out?!

[Steviewevie]

Please could you tell me where the evidence is for this being a fact ?

I really can't see how road surface noise can have anything to do with speed governance, for example the road noise that I hear doesn't have anything to do with the speed that I drive at. Surely road surface noise is only a factor at high speeds, and motorways are actually much safer than roads with lower speed limits, aren't they ?

[Sagitar]

Please could you tell me where the evidence is for this being a fact ?

I really can't see how road surface noise can have anything to do with speed governance, for example the road noise that I hear doesn't have anything to do with the speed that I drive at. Surely road surface noise is only a factor at high speeds, and motorways are actually much safer than roads with lower speed limits, aren't they ?

I have no collated evidence, but my impression locally is that the newly laid roads are the quietest, presumably because the mastic material fills the voids between the chips and gives a continuous surface. As the mastic material wears away, the chips are exposed and the rougher surface is noisier.

The noisiest surfaces locally are those where a quick resurface has been done by spreading loose chips on top of an adhesive.

[Parthiban]

I'm not sure about them making roads noisier, but they're definitely not as good anymore - I was in Mallorca a few weeks ago and I was amazed how good their roads were and then appalled when I got back to see the state of our roads...........it's worse than a third world country, the roads in India are better (and I'm not exaggerating)

There was actually an article in our local newspaper that the council uses the glass we give them for recycling for the roads rather than to make new glass - this annoyed a few residents, I wasn't particularly bothered except that they take our glass and use it to save themselves some money, yet they still only patch fill the roads and don't reduce our council tax :shutit:

[84Stoney]

A new section of A30 duel carridgeway was built a few years ago between Exeter and Honiton. Probably 10 years ago now.

They used the ligher coloured, slightly rough stuff that make too much noise. They had to pay tens of thousands of pounds to hunderds of local residents in compensation for the 24/7 car and truck noise!

Who's money was that?

[Rob]

u mean the orange section of road just after a roundabout??

[Lexus2D]

A new section of A30 duel carridgeway was built a few years ago between Exeter and Honiton. Probably 10 years ago now.

They used the ligher coloured, slightly rough stuff that make too much noise. They had to pay tens of thousands of pounds to hunderds of local residents in compensation for the 24/7 car and truck noise!

Who's money was that?

Weve got a couple like that round my way M180 as it goes in2 a duel carridgeway in2 Grimsby & its well noisey carnt stand it :tsktsk:

[ROYT]

We have been made a cheap and nasty country, so they made the roads to match!

The amount of road tax we have been robbed of, and are still are ...all roads should be gold plated.

[PCIronmike]

You seem to forget people a lot of your hard earned given in taxes is funding the war on terror , check out how much it costs to fire stuff at the enemy , like a javelin , I can't remember the figures but its astronomic .

Regards

[DJ Wozza]

There was actually an article in our local newspaper that the council uses the glass we give them for recycling for the roads rather than to make new glass - this annoyed a few residents, I wasn't particularly bothered except that they take our glass and use it to save themselves some money, yet they still only patch fill the roads and don't reduce our council tax :shutit:

Funny that isn't it, we are supposed to recycle the glass so it can be re-used over and over again. Yet your council take it

and use it for their own ends, so yet more glass has to be created. I'm prety sure there is a Green Issue here, but as a

whole, Green Issues make my head hurt, or is it the pollution that does that :duh: ?

[Mark W]

From what I have noticed though - these newer "low noise" road surfaces seem to suffer more from holding water - and always seem a little too slippery in the wet. Pure observation on my part with no technical proof - could be totally unrelated to the surface (camber of new surface?) but no matter where they use these low noise surfaces - water issues seem to appear.....I'm thinking M6 Toll, the M6 around Junc 12/13 (just recently resurfaced using the low noise stuff)

[Jiberjaber]

Mark - its actually the opps of that.

The low noise stuff is pourous asphalt it drains water away so you have less spray as well. A special mix is required to grit it however and maintenance is quite expensive. It depends of course what is under it, there was talk of the HA re-surfacing all concrete roads with it at one point to counter road noise to residents, I dont think it went much further due to cost and technical issues. I am not a pavement engineer though!

[ROYT]

The government have had enough time and money to get the job right.

Politians have never seen a map of the UK, we should have the best standard of living in

the world, based on the amount of tax and the size of the place.

They are always whining what they can't afford to do....other countries are leaving us behind

because the place is run by a gang of incompetants.

Short of money for cancer drugs etc, NICE says, Bull###T, theres plenty of money for expensive trials

for people who want to bomb us.

Plenty of money to keep murderers alive and looked after..

I visited Guernsey, Channel Islands, no VAT, petrol 87p ltr, no road tax, higher old age pension.....

[Mark W]

Mark - its actually the opps of that.

The low noise stuff is pourous asphalt it drains water away so you have less spray as well. A special mix is required to grit it however and maintenance is quite expensive. It depends of course what is under it, there was talk of the HA re-surfacing all concrete roads with it at one point to counter road noise to residents, I dont think it went much further due to cost and technical issues. I am not a pavement engineer though!

Strange...but driving on the m6 toll when it's raining I definitely think it hold more water than say the m6. Also, in the winter if it's icy or snows - the outside lane of the toll road is completely unusable as it goes like an ice rink - assumed was due to held water freezing.

Suppose it's either been built poorly or not the new stuff

[Mike_B]

The new stuff is called SMA - it's quieter but it's not as grippy as standard tar macadam roads, especially when freshly laid. Take care on it when it's really shiny and new, especially those of us on motorbikes. See here: Linky

The A30 was surfaced in concrete - noisy as hell but lasts forever and is very cheap (well, it used to be before concrete prices went through the roof!) The M5 used to be like that almost all the way between Bristol and Exeter - lasted about 25 years before it needed replacing, when it was done with SMA. As for the A30, I'm sorry for the people who live near it but I'm glad it was built, I used to drive the Exeter-Honiton road two or three times a week, it was a bloody nightmare taking 45 minutes to an hour some days. Now it takes less than 20 minutes - a big improvement even if it is noisy!!