Construction of Economical But Sustainable Road by Foam Concrete

Roads make cities and connect the civilizations. Road helps to fulfill the dream of human being and even ease life of livestock. Scientists, Engineers and sufferer grass root people develops idea of sustainable road and implement. Area and country-wise sustainability of road is different, even design of road to be changed based on available construction materials.

Among the number of research and implementation, road by foam concrete is one of them. Making road by foam concrete is a new concept and still under research and development. Consultants and the professionals who are actively involved in road construction shall get more interest in going into this RnD-based road construction literature.

The cross-sectional drawings are referred below to compare the different kind of road strata:

1.20 Method of production:

Cellular Light weight Foam Concrete is stirred with cement, water, and fine sand as the base material, adding foaming agent, and mixed by special mixer

1.30 Method of Pouring:

 After the mixer, a powerful pump is fitted to pump the Mix/Foam concrete to the proposed road. Pouring like Cement Concrete (CC) but its density is less than water. It flows like water. No side shutter is required to give a perfect shape but needs a decent trench if construction starts from underground. For above the ground different arrangement is needed to block spillage of the mix.

Merits /Benefits of foam concrete road:

I. Road by Flexible and rigid pavement needs a huge fleet of heavy equipment for preparing compacted Subbase and Base. Where Foam concrete replaces the Subbase and Base but does not need compacted strata, only natural subgrade is enough. 

II. To use the equipment there must be accessibility or need to make accessible roads for construction purposes. Where For the foam concrete, the equipment fleet is very low and foam concrete can be pumped even from 2.00 km far to job place or it can make the same proposed road accessible and finish the construction.

III. For flexible pavement, compaction is needed for every layer or strata and for rigid pavement subbase and base needed compaction. Where Foam concrete roads, eliminates heavy compaction. Only natural subgrade needed to be compacted by light weight compaction equipment.

IV. For the rural road, construction is hampered mostly by the mobilization of equipment and for the same causes materials cannot be transported. Where Foam concrete is the best solution for rural road construction. It can overcome the obstruction at a low cost. As a primary layer, it can be laid and then other equipment can move over the foam concrete layer for the completion of the rest work.

V. For the flexible and rigid pavement huge solid inert construction materials to be transported Where for foam concrete, lightweight liquid mixed material conveyed through hose pipe and builds primary layer on the ground.