Q) There appears to be small speed bumps all through my neighborhood. What is the purpose of these?
A) Many of the streets within Gahanna are composed of a 7-inch concrete base with a 3-inch asphalt surface. These streets also have concrete combined curb and gutter installed which is poured separate from the roadway. All of these components will expand and contract separately as temperatures rise and fall.
During the hot summer months, the concrete base of the roadway expands and causes the base to compress. Since concrete is not a flexible material this action increases pressure within the base of the road. If this pressure isn’t relieved the road could buckle or break. Due to this pressure, the roadway is designed to have asphalt relief joints installed approximately every 500 feet.
An asphalt relief joint consists of a 5-foot wide full depth asphalt section which spans the road. Since asphalt is a flexible material, it absorbs the stresses produced by the expansion of the concrete base and is squeezed during hot temperatures. When temperatures cool back down the concrete base shrinks and the pressure on the asphalt relief joint is removed. The asphalt relief joint will not fully resume its original shape and so a bump in the pavement is created.
After years of this action the result is what appears to be a speed bump on the surface of the road. As these joints become larger, they can become a concern and the sounds created by vehicles and trailers hitting them can be a nuisance.
Upon request, the City can inspect these joints and grind down the pavement as necessary to alleviate the issues caused by the bump.
For more information, contact the City’s Service Department by clicking here.
Have a question for City Hall? Leave a comment or email us at information@Gahanna.gov
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