What's New in Road Construction Technology?

[KeithS]

How did you find PF?

I was looking for possible answers to a specific question I had about heating my garage and PhysicsForums showed up as a potential website.

Hi, I work for the Department of Transportation. I don't have a lot to bring to the table, but am familiar with the road building process from subsoils to driving surface, ranging from materials, to density and testing procedures.

 

[phinds]

Welcome to the forum

 

[BillTre]

I welcome your road construction technician knowledge here:

Our town put in some new road parts specifically for buses to use (very rarely cars).
It makes sense they are made different to carry bigger loads, but they also had some things in there I did not recognize.
Looked like it might have been some electrical stuff, but not just conduits.
It was also near a corner, so might have involved lights.
I think some of it was federal money, so maybe different standards?

What's new in roads?
Any new sensing, self driving, power stuff in the roads?
How far ahead do they try to plan?