04-26-2016, 12:23 AM | #51 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Denver, Colorado
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
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04-26-2016, 01:01 AM | #52 | |
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
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We used to have a world rally stage on the metal (gravel) roads near here. I used to think some of my friends drove pretty fast, until I saw someone going fast enough to get air, at night, with no functional headlights.
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04-26-2016, 04:34 AM | #53 |
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Colorado
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
I drive in a gravel trainyard, just going over them at 10-30 mph on a daily basis messes with your back, not to mention at times you feel like your kidneys were used as a punching bag. What scares me the most is from the feedback that the RR employees that I drive around, I'm probably the only driver that tries to learn to avoid the worse of the washboarding/ruts/potholes, which at times does make it seem like I'm driving drunk as I weave around.
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04-26-2016, 06:10 AM | #54 |
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
Washboard roads are the result of the spring suspension on vehicles. Hit one pothole bounce up slam back down (thus creating a new rut).
Ironically enough going faster can reduce the in cab shaking (confirmed by mythbusters). However when e are talking about AtE dirt and gravel roads since they will be virtually unused there should beer minimal washboard effect. Just initial potholes. |
04-26-2016, 07:52 AM | #55 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
Washboard roads take certain soil conditions and I think rainfall levels or patterns matter too - around here we get rid and holes (and wash-outs) instead. Washboard roads definitely encourage higher speeds, it smooths out the ride (doesn't make it safer but it feels safer if your going in a straight line).
Actually, around here you might also hit a muddy swampy section depending on maintenance and time of year - spring melt water overwhelms drainage even when maintained.
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04-26-2016, 10:30 AM | #56 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
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Couple the staggering amount of salt that the city uses each winter with the freeze/thaw/flood cycle and its a wonder roads last more than one winter. |
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04-26-2016, 10:42 AM | #57 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
Factor in that some states have sub-par highway maintenance to begin with, and some roads won't last as long as others.
For example: Pennsylvania isn't known as "pothole alley" among truckers for nothing; one person I knew who lived in Ohio said he knew when he was entering Pennsy by the first pothole in the road, not the sign. Likewise, in South Carolina and Georgia, their snow removal plans in the higher elevations are basically, "Mother Nature put it there, Mother Nature will take it away. Just stay off the roads until she does." Some roads are designed to need constant maintenance, so that the state highway department has an excuse to give their legislature to stay funded. Sounds cynical, yes, but true.
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04-26-2016, 12:11 PM | #58 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
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Thus; spending less money on roadwork that works for <5 years is just fine, whereas you'll have some awkward questions to answer to your constituents if you installed the 25 year lifespan stuff at double cost (even though it will save 4x its cost over its lifetime). |
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04-26-2016, 12:36 PM | #59 | |
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Colorado
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
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The trainyard I drive in wouldn't be too bad other than all the dust being blown up in the wind if they actually maintained the yard. But there are sections of the yard that haven't been graded since before I worked there and its been 5 years now. There is one stretch that gets graded maybe once a year and it lasts for maybe 2-4 months before getting bad again. |
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04-26-2016, 12:38 PM | #60 |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: [AtE] Condition of Highways
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