Question: Why not replace cement sidewalks with black top? Saves money, easier to replace and repair....

[Rigby5]

Asphalt costs much more than cement because it is mostly a petroleum product.
Concrete is just made from gravel and heated up limestone.
You can buy an 80 lb bag of concrete for $6, while the same size asphalt is about $30.

Asphalt does not last nearly as long as cement.
Since it is oil based, asphalt constantly loses oil to evaporation, and you have to replace it often, like every 6 years or so.
Concrete can last indefinitely, as it gets harder and harder over time.

Asphalt is very difficult to replace or repair.
You have to used significant amounts of heat to soften it for reshaping, and then use steamrollers to flatten it out again.
With concrete, you just break it up with jackhammers, and turn it back to gravel.

The only reason to use asphalt at all is that it can be done without expansion joints, to it is a slightly smoother finish with a road. But as a sidewalk, it would be extremely dangerous. The heat would harm animals in the summer.

 

[Muhammed]

Asphalt costs much more than cement because it is mostly a petroleum product.
Concrete is just made from gravel and heated up limestone.
You can buy an 80 lb bag of concrete for $6, while the same size asphalt is about $30.

Asphalt does not last nearly as long as cement.
Since it is oil based, asphalt constantly loses oil to evaporation, and you have to replace it often, like every 6 years or so.
Concrete can last indefinitely, as it gets harder and harder over time.

Asphalt is very difficult to replace or repair.
You have to used significant amounts of heat to soften it for reshaping, and then use steamrollers to flatten it out again.
With concrete, you just break it up with jackhammers, and turn it back to gravel.

The only reason to use asphalt at all is that it can be done without expansion joints, to it is a slightly smoother finish with a road. But as a sidewalk, it would be extremely dangerous. The heat would harm animals in the summer.

You may have accidentally got a couple things right in that post.

 

[2aguy]

Asphalt costs much more than cement because it is mostly a petroleum product.
Concrete is just made from gravel and heated up limestone.
You can buy an 80 lb bag of concrete for $6, while the same size asphalt is about $30.

Asphalt does not last nearly as long as cement.
Since it is oil based, asphalt constantly loses oil to evaporation, and you have to replace it often, like every 6 years or so.
Concrete can last indefinitely, as it gets harder and harder over time.

Asphalt is very difficult to replace or repair.
You have to used significant amounts of heat to soften it for reshaping, and then use steamrollers to flatten it out again.
With concrete, you just break it up with jackhammers, and turn it back to gravel.

The only reason to use asphalt at all is that it can be done without expansion joints, to it is a slightly smoother finish with a road. But as a sidewalk, it would be extremely dangerous. The heat would harm animals in the summer.

We aren't talking about streets here...merely sidewalks.....just like you see in parks and bike trails...

 

[Rigby5]

Asphalt costs much more than cement because it is mostly a petroleum product.
Concrete is just made from gravel and heated up limestone.
You can buy an 80 lb bag of concrete for $6, while the same size asphalt is about $30.

Asphalt does not last nearly as long as cement.
Since it is oil based, asphalt constantly loses oil to evaporation, and you have to replace it often, like every 6 years or so.
Concrete can last indefinitely, as it gets harder and harder over time.

Asphalt is very difficult to replace or repair.
You have to used significant amounts of heat to soften it for reshaping, and then use steamrollers to flatten it out again.
With concrete, you just break it up with jackhammers, and turn it back to gravel.

The only reason to use asphalt at all is that it can be done without expansion joints, to it is a slightly smoother finish with a road. But as a sidewalk, it would be extremely dangerous. The heat would harm animals in the summer.

We aren't talking about streets here...merely sidewalks.....just like you see in parks and bike trails...

But have you ever seen them do asphalt?
It requires machines with huge flame fronts of heat, and then steamrollers to flatten it out.
Vastly harder to do and more expensive than just mixing up concrete and pouring in down.
And you can find lots of hundred or more year old sidewalks.
You are not going to find asphalt more than 30 years old that is any good any more.
It not only evaporates and gets rough, but also cracks and sags.

 

[Canon Shooter]

Thought about this as I was driving around, and noticed people jogging on a black top running path......why not replace local sidewalks with black top?

Are you talking about removing existing concrete sidewalks and replacing them with blacktop?

That would be cost-prohibitive, simply because there's no real viable reason to remove the concrete sidewalks. It would be a waste of money.

Now, if a sidewalk needs to be replaced due to wear/damage/etc, then I suppose alternative materials could be looked at...

 

[2aguy]

Thought about this as I was driving around, and noticed people jogging on a black top running path......why not replace local sidewalks with black top?

Are you talking about removing existing concrete sidewalks and replacing them with blacktop?

That would be cost-prohibitive, simply because there's no real viable reason to remove the concrete sidewalks. It would be a waste of money.

Now, if a sidewalk needs to be replaced due to wear/damage/etc, then I suppose alternative materials could be looked at...

Yep.....that's what I was wondering.

 

[d0gbreath]

Asphalt is a filthy mess. I much prefer nice clean concrete.

 

[HenryBHough]

Thought about this as I was driving around, and noticed people jogging on a black top running path......why not replace local sidewalks with black top?

It would be much cheaper than cement.

It doesn't wear out as fast as cement. (right?)

It is easier to replace, and repair, especially if you have to remove the sidewalk for underground pipe or wire repair.

Anyone work for a public works department?

Lemme 'splain it to you:

C-ment be's what yo privileged folks calls white and it's OK to walk on whites.

But Blacktop is....well...pavement of color!

Oppressed.

Downdtrodden.

You can' be putting no blacktop underfoot unless you be's RACIST, honkey!

(Thank you BLM for the inspiration)

 

[Likkmee]

Asphalt is a filthy mess. I much prefer nice clean concrete.

Too slippery when it rains. We use bricks or pavers