I did a search and didnt find this idea, so here goes...

I was thinking recently after coming across this portion of howstuffworks:

[admin: URL moved to 'link,' below.]

So I thought that roads could also have these small spheres that held a glue that reacted with the road material itself, and as time went by the road "would actually get stronger!..."

Sounds like a great idea to me...
-- oxygon, Apr 13 2002

HowStuffWorks: Self-Healing Spacecraft http://www.howstuff...ling-spacecraft.htm
(I fixed bristolz's link...) [bristolz, Apr 13 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Paving Innovations from asphalt.com http://www.asphalt.com/innovat.html
good stuff - all kinds of innovations, straight from the stinky roadman's mouth. [white, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

I could use an ego like that.
-- phoenix, Apr 13 2002


Croissant, because I like the idea, and because it reminded me of another idea I had a few years ago :)
-- mrouse, Apr 13 2002


Grrr. Cut and paste 101, I must have failed.
-- bristolz, Apr 15 2002


I'm worried that any flexibility in the surface would lead to the formation of ruts. But tarmac melts at comparatively low temperatures, so it should be possible to periodically heat it, let it smooth itself out, and cool it down again.
-- pottedstu, Apr 15 2002


Here in the Northeastern US, we have to contend with the expansion and shrinkage of the roads during hot and cold seasons. The results are cracks, dips and the ever popular 'Frost Heaves' sign.

Perhaps a self healing road would not be reactive to extremes in temperature and would keep surface distortion to a minimum. Interesting idea.
-- RobGraham, Apr 16 2002


I've seen road resurfacing machines that come close to baking this. They move along the road, chew up the old pavement, heat it up and add a bit of fresh tar, and lay it down behind them.

Not exactly self-healing, but the machines are pretty spiffy.
-- quarterbaker, Apr 16 2002


DeGroof's comment reminds me of my dad's oft-repeated wish for such a device, and so sparked me on a Google-hunt: does such a machine exist?

http://www.asphalt.com/innovations/innrecycler.html - close, not quite the all-in-one solution I want.

DeGroof, got a link for us?
-- white, Mar 18 2003


//as time went by the road "would actually get stronger!..."//

That sounds like concrete to me.
-- pluterday, Mar 18 2003


Imagine...pulling up to a stop sign right after the road cracks...and it super-gluing your tires down. Besides, the space ship technology is all about "tiny cracks", not the inch-wide suckers I always see on Interstates.
-- DrOuD, Mar 19 2003



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