Road Pavement Matters

[NeilBlanchard]

This is interesting -- I'm glad to see it quantified.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/p...ires-0523.html



It is obvious at intersections where vehicles tend to sit still in line waiting for the traffic signal light to change -- the wheel ruts are quite pronounced on many roads around here. I tend to drive slightly to the right of the the ruts and ripples to avoid the roughness.

We need to build better road foundations. This would make roads last a (lot) longer with less maintenance; as well as save fuel.

[gone-ot]

...climbing "...out of a hole..." takes power, which takes fuel. Makes sense.

[Exalta-STA]

Same reason I hate communities with consecutive speed bumps

[Cd]

I'd like to know how much fuel is wasted from sections of interstate highways that are less smooth.

What is the reason that some sections of highway are silky smooth and others feel like driving on rocks ?
Is this due to the need for more grip on that section of the highway due to the frequency of accidents there ?

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Cd

I'd like to know how much fuel is wasted from sections of interstate highways that are less smooth.

We have some pretty bad roads here, and some are close to the border, so they're easy to compare with the Dutch roads.
I see differences in fuel consumption of up to 0.5L/100km (!) depending on road surface.
This massive change happens only when going from very good to pretty poor - or the other way around though.
In highway conditions, we're talking 12-16 % differences !

Cobblestones are also notoriously bad for FE.

Is this due to the need for more grip on that section of the highway due to the frequency of accidents there ?

I'd be surprised if there was any specific FE-related reason at all.
Better rolling roads are only recently being considered as a means to reduce fuel consumption.

[Ford Man]

I already knew this. When I lived in NC and visited my parents in KY I traveled I-40 from Statesville, NC-Nashville, TN. Some of the sections were concrete and some were asphalt, on the sections of concrete the Scan Gauge would report several miles per gallon better mileage than on the asphalt and new asphalt reported lower MPG readings than older asphalt probably due to the sticky tar on the surface of the new asphalt. One time when I was traveling through the Smokey mountains on I-40 on a newly paved section I noticed the Scan Gauge reporting 10+ MPG lower than normal and on the newly paved section if I tried to coast down the mountains the car would actually lose speed instead of gain.