By: Bill Wilson
I always envisioned playing with my hair after I got done using a profilograph.
That’s always my corrective response after I am done whistling down the open road with the window all the way down. Isn’t that how profilographers roll? No? OK, let me cool it up a bit by adding a DOT-issued, white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of sunglasses and chewed toothpick and a black Ford Crown Victoria. Now that is what I call smooth in the name of smoothness.
I have written several road construction stories, with most including a California profilograph, and for some reason every time I reach the point of rideability tests that image sits and grazes in my head. A long section of the project is complete and the results are tabulated in one windblown motion out in two-lane, rural America.
The District of Columbia is sucking the air out of this ceremony of quality by proposing the use of profilographing on city streets in 25-ft intervals. One can’t even catch a breeze at that rate, and the idea opens up several windows of concern, including:
Traffic management
Emergency vehicles and bus traffic are currently allowed to pass through live construction areas in D.C. If contractors were to be held to smoothness specifications then entire sections would have to be shut down to create ideal conditions. This would force traffic to be diverted to other routes, which are quick to fill up in an urban environment.
Construction obstacles
Smoother roads demand continuous paving. Continuous paving demands a long train of equipment, which sometimes exceeds 75 ft in length. The grinding operation also calls for the constant in and out movement of trucks. Could one imagine the parade of haulers on M Street in the middle of the day? Manholes also pop into play. Unless all the covers are set perfectly, it is virtually impossible to run pavers straight through without stopping.
Utility work also creates a sinkhole of problems. Just about every construction season, crews are out digging up pavement to replace various pipes and lines. If smoothness is put to the test this would require additional cost to uphold quality.
Both the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and the Metro Washington Road & Transportation Builders Association (MWRTBA) rolled up their sleeves and asked the District of Columbia to consider alternative procedures to ensure smooth roads. ARTBA took it a step further by contacting the Federal Highway Administration about urban road construction practices.
Everybody wants to move down Main Street without putting any strain on the seat belt, but there could be a better way than creating a massive and complicated buildup every 25 ft. ARTBA and MWRTBA suggested two ways for metropolitan masterpieces at ground level. One calls for the city to reduce erosion. Premature erosion wastes away the best smoothness strategy. Avoiding cold-joint matching is another way to improve the process. Cold joints lead to water penetration and the crumbling of roads. Cities should use either hot joints or no joints at all.
ARTBA and MWRTBA also polled states to see where they stood on the issue. Only 12 said they do not include urban profilographing in areas where the speed limit is less than 45 mph. It is a surprisingly low number, one that urges some sort of federal mandate. It would be the cool thing to do.
