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on April 29, 2011
Tim Sylvester
commented on a projectBob, there will be a small gap to allow for thermal expansion, no more than 1/8". However, it will be filled with the "compression garment" which acts as a joint sealant. The civil engineers I've spoken to have told me that joint sealants universally do not work 'as designed' to exclude water intrusion, so this is a universal problem. Our design intent is to provide adequate drainage that the freeze-thaw cycle isn't as troublesome as you imply, and we have several designs to lock the units together. Furthermore, if any water was trapped between the slabs in the joint, when it froze, it would simply compress the garment in the joint, without affecting the slab itself.
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on April 25, 2011
Tim Sylvester
commented on a projectAndrea, good question. The slabs are designed 'to span', which means that, from the surface, you would never notice any problems underneath - and the sensors inside would report back to home before those sub-surface problems would have a chance to become problems that would affect drivers. The slabs could certainly shift in extreme conditions, yes - but in the situation you describe, a typical road would wash out completely, which is a much more expensive repair. The upkeep on this style of pavement is far lower than for asphalt - we estimate a cost savings of nearly 50% versus asphalt across the life of the precast pavement despite costing more up-front. Asphalt has to be repaired pretty much every spring, whereas a similar pavement in southern Missouri is now six years old and hasn't required any maintenance, and has none scheduled. MoDOT says the pavement could survive without maintenance for 50 years and still be in good condition. So the expected upkeep on these roads is actually far, far less than with asphalt. Thanks for asking!
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on April 18, 2011
Tim Sylvester
Posted project update #1Facebook fan page
Post CommentHey everyone, we added a Facebook fan page, please visit it if you'd like to join the discussion about our project!
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on April 18, 2011
Tim Sylvester
commented on a projectAlex, thanks for your comment. The pressure sensors wouldn't generate enough energy to produce line power, but would be useful in powering sensors, for example a position sensor for the car that powers itself through the car's motion over it so that its only working when its needed.
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on April 18, 2011
Tim Sylvester launched a project
Fix our streets with modular pavements by Tim Sylvester
We are bringing pavements into the 21st century with factory production, mass customization, and interchangeable parts.
Funding Unsuccessful (05/18/2011)
Tim Sylvester
Kansas City, MO
We are a team originating from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. The lead, Tim Sylvester, has been working on this project as time affords for several years, and now we are ready to move to the next level.
