SMOOTH
DIAMOND GROUND CONCRETE PAVEMENTS ARE ENGINEERED TO STAY SMOOTH AND QUIET THROUGHOUT THE PAVEMENT'S LIFE.
Pavement smoothness is the most important pavement quality recognized by motorists. Smoother pavements last longer and reduce vehicle fuel consumption, green-house gases, and vehicle maintenance. They ensure the highest level of consumer satisfaction.
Concrete pavement is a rigid paving system, unlike asphalt rubber. As a result, it will not ravel, rut or deform from intense use or extreme heat.
According to the Maricopa Association of Governments, the Price Road L101 corridor carries between 200,000–400,000 citizens a day.
WHAT IS DIAMOND GRINDING?
Diamond grinding is a preservation technique that removes approximately ¼-inch of the concrete surface. By removing the existing transverse grooving that causes the noise, grinding makes the road much smoother and quieter.
Diamond grinding is the new surface that is being used as a replacement for asphalt rubber at several locations in the Valley. This is the first time the public has had the opportunity to drive on it. Experience it for yourself and drive over it!
Diamond grinding uses diamond-impregnated saw blades to saw away the concrete. Milling, a process often confused with grinding, is intended for asphalt removal and not for concrete. Milling uses an impact process which damages concrete when it contacts joints. Joint damage can destroy the highway system within two-to-three asphalt rubber overlay cycles.
At the time the decision was made to cover up the concrete highway, the public did not have access to a diamond ground surface to compare to asphalt rubber. But several pilot studies now demonstrate that removing the asphalt rubber on Phoenix-area pavements, then diamond grinding the concrete surface, provides a smooth, quiet driving surface.
CONCRETE PAVEMENTS PROVIDE
LASTING SMOOTHNESS
Although smooth when new, asphalt rubber overlays oxidize, causing aggregates (rocks) to dislodge, ravel and delaminate, making for a rough, noisy and unsightly pavement surface as shown in the photo above.
The graph shown above displays roughness levels of both diamond ground surfaces (grey columns) and asphalt rubber surfaces (black columns). The higher the number, the rougher the road. As one can see, the diamond ground concrete sections are far smoother than the asphalt rubber sections.
Damage caused by a milling head when removing asphalt rubber. Continued milling of the freeway during the 10-15 year maintenance cycle will eventually destroy the taxpayer-funded Valley freeway system.
EQUIPMENT
Carbide Tip Milling Head
Diamond Grinding Blades