Abstract:
Asphalt concrete wearing course is provided on highways through
out the world to provide a smooth and watertight surface for comfortable
ride. This material has limited life span of roughly ten years but under
severe weather conditions asphalt experiences early decay. The problem
is compounded if the traffic load exceeds the design limits. Majority of
highways including motorways in Pakistan are facing acute rutting
problem. Research has been conducted by various agencies to investigate
causes of such failures. A number of techniques have been tried to
reduce these distreses but these techniques either do not work or they are
uneconomical and now National Highway Authority (NHA) is gradually
shifting towards RCC lanes for heavy traffic which are far more
expensive than asphalt concrete roads. A new technique of using
tampered glass is being proposed as replacement of asphalt concrete
wearing course in highways. The innovative technique may provide a
solution to the chronic and vexing problem of highway distresses and
failure. Initial experiments conducted with a small portion of tampered
glass have been very encouraging and has the potential to replace the
flexible and rigid pavement in cost effective manner. The project is
unique in the sense that the technique is yet to be tried any where in the
world and has tremendous potential for patenting thus not only earning
foreign exchange for Pakistan but also improving socio-economic
conditions of the people
