Wendelyn P.

Garcia, BSCE 3-A

Highway and Railroads
One of the most important phases in the advancement of human history is the
construction of roads, thus considered as one of the most established and detectable
illustrations for civilization and society. The concept of road was first introduced in 3000
BCE, were it is merely a little more than dirt paths worn down by frequent travel from
one location to another by animals accompanied by our ancestors. It was in the era of
the Roman Empire that took road building to new heights of engineering excellence and
has made history through its various impacts, notably in how it provided solid unification
and largely extended the life expectancy from the present times to the future.
Roads are specifically considered as "conduits of life's activities", - dedicated
channels through which connectivity, abundance, and transportation can pass on
throughout every country. The very function of a road network is to facilitate movement
from one area to another. As such, it has an important role to play in the urban
environment to facilitate mobility. "Roads are the arteries through which the economy
pulses", truly it has been the principal means by which our entire economies and
societies have emerged and grown over time. Though it was originally constructed for
trade, and military purposes, these roads became the means by which our ideas, life,
and culture spread from country to country. It has sustained us in every area of our
lives, not to mention making the accessibility of goods and services to circulate far more
widely than what was economically feasible. And has also mobilized and bring forth a
country’s true economic potential.
Process of constructing roads. The process on how our ancestors did to
construct roads in their earlier times was merely made of burned bricks or cobbled
stones. For around 334 BC, the Romans were the first civilization considered as one of
the greatest systematic road builders; it was by that era when concrete was firstly
developed which later on permitted the Roman's construction advancement.
The Roman design generally consisted of four layers (top to bottom) as follows:
o Summa Crusta (surfacing): Smooth, blocks bedded in underlying layer.
o Nucleus: A kind of base layer composed of gravel and sand with lime cement.
o Rudus: The third layer was composed of rubble masonry and smaller stones also
set in lime mortar.
o Statumen: Two or three courses of flat stones set in lime mortar.

https://www.funkidslive.com/learn/roads/how-did-the-romans-build-roads-find-out-all-
about-old-roads/
 The construction of roads had changed dramatically since the Romans legacy. In
today's time, most of our roadways and streets are paved with asphalt concrete. The
process of constructing the modern roads includes the following three stages; setting
out, earthworks and paving construction.
Setting out. This is carried out by following the data specified in layout drawings.
The profile board method is an example of a setting out procedure; this is used for
controlling the excavated levels.
Earthwork. Is considered as one of the major works in road construction. This is
where the removal of topsoil, and any vegetation is performed as well as creating a
solid foundation. It is also important to test the strength of the subgrade since it will
determine the required thickness of the pavement.
Paving Construction. The most common used materials for paving roads are
asphalt and concrete. Factors will be assessed such as cost and amount of traffic to
determine which materials will be used.
o Asphalt uses an oil-based substance called bitumen to make sand and crushed
rock stick together like glue. After the asphalt is heated to about 300° F, it is
transported to the construction site, where construction crews spread and
compact it onto the foundation already in place.
o Concrete also uses sand and crushed rock, but it's held together with cement.
Workers must pour liquid concrete into special steel molds called forms. As it
dries, a special finishing machine vibrates it to make it settle evenly and then
trims it to the correct height.
https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-you-build-a-road

Difference between highway and railroad. These two types of modes of

transportation though the same in some sense, they also differ in some areas. In terms
of construction, highways are paved with specified width requirement, while the railroad
is constructed with steel rails. The highway is accessible for movement of any types
from small to large vehicles etc., whereas the railway routes are only meant for the
movement of trains. They also differ when it comes to the width of right of way, where
the highway requires more width compared to railway roads. The railway requires a
more elastic structure compared to the highway route since it is mostly subjected with
heavy wheel loads and also costly when it comes to construction and maintenance.