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quaker bill

(8,264 posts)

8. Thermal expansion is a property of virtually all materials

Sat Jul 7, 2012, 10:03 AM

Jul 2012

It is a property that one usually does not notice because the change in length is fairly small by percent for most materials. However, a small percentage change in length becomes a pretty large distance when the length of the road is many miles. A 0.1% change in length spread over two miles (10,000+ feet) is roughly 10'. When 10' of extra road suddenly tries to fit in the same place, concrete buckles. That is why there are expansion joints, but sometimes they aren't big enough.

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I heard on the news a few days ago, a road in WI buckled up because it was so hot. [View all] raccoon Jul 2012 OP

I'm no expert but, HappyMe Jul 2012 #1

Roads involving concrete are the ones most likely to buckle. Asphalt is much more flexible PoliticAverse Jul 2012 #2

Expansion joints jberryhill Jul 2012 #3

I don't know details, but I am sure that they use different materials for different regions. tanyev Jul 2012 #4

This happened also in Raleigh NC. I 440 buckled. mmonk Jul 2012 #5

it does happen elsewhere justabob Jul 2012 #6

While thankfully none of the roads I regularly drive had this issue tammywammy Jul 2012 #10

yeah, last year was awful justabob Jul 2012 #11

What I notice more around Chicago are the concrete raised medians buckling. Gidney N Cloyd Jul 2012 #7

Thermal expansion is a property of virtually all materials quaker bill Jul 2012 #8

Thank you for that factual reply. dixiegrrrrl Jul 2012 #9

Happened here too Bluzmann57 Jul 2012 #12

Jalopnik has the story, and the video: flvegan Jul 2012 #13

I saw this happen in Illinois... hunter Jul 2012 #14

Not just in Wisconsin Lydia Leftcoast Jul 2012 #15

It does. PavePusher Jul 2012 #16