Difference between asphalt and concrete toll roads, which is stronger?

Jakarta –

Toll road surfaces in Indonesia use different materials. There are a number of toll road sections that use asphalt material, some also use concrete material.

Of course, there are differences between toll roads that use asphalt and concrete. An easy way to distinguish it is from the color of the road surface, if it is black it means the toll road uses asphalt. Meanwhile, toll roads that use concrete tend to be bright gray in color.

Apart from that, there are a number of other differences between asphalt and concrete materials used on toll roads. So, which is stronger and more durable between the two? Check out the discussion below.

Why do toll roads use different materials?

In the official Instagram account of PT Jasa Marga Trans Jawa Tol @official.jmtransjawa, it is stated that the use of asphalt and concrete materials on toll roads is used in accordance with planning for the traffic load carried by vehicles.

Apart from that, the condition of the soil around the construction area when the toll road is being built also influences the determination of the material, whether it is safer to use asphalt or concrete.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Asphalt and Concrete Materials

There are a number of differences between the use of asphalt and concrete materials for toll roads. These differences can be seen in terms of the advantages and disadvantages of each material. Check out the explanation below.

Asphalt Material

The use of asphalt material for toll roads is considered to have a number of advantages, namely:

1. The black color of asphalt can give a soft, calm and comfortable impression
2. The asphalt surface of the toll road tends to be smooth and not bumpy in texture
3. Maintenance of asphalt toll roads tends to be easier, if there is a damaged surface it can be replaced with a new one.

Even so, the use of asphalt material for toll roads is also not free from a number of shortcomings, including:

1. Asphalt material is not strong enough to withstand the weight of heavy vehicles
2. Asphalt is also susceptible to damage and holes if exposed to standing water and flooding
3. The lifespan of asphalt material is shorter, so it requires regular maintenance
4. Asphalt material cannot be applied to a weak soil structure, so it is necessary to improve the soil structure first.

Material Beton

After knowing the advantages and disadvantages of asphalt material, let’s look at the following advantages of concrete material for toll roads:

1. Concrete material is stronger to withstand the weight of large vehicles, such as buses and tow trucks
2. Concrete material is more durable even though it is often submerged in puddles and floods
3. Concrete material lasts longer
4. Concrete material can be applied to a weak soil structure, so there is no need to improve the soil structure first.

Just like asphalt material, there are a number of disadvantages of using concrete material on toll roads, namely:

1. The color of the road surface tends to be bright gray, making the road look hard and barren
2. The texture of the road surface is rougher so extra work is needed to make the contour more even
3. Maintaining concrete materials on toll roads is also more difficult, so extra work is needed so that the toll road does not crack easily.

That’s the difference between asphalt and concrete materials on toll roads along with their advantages and disadvantages. Hopefully this article can add information to detikers.

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