Stiffer pavements can save $15 billion per year in fuel costs

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have found that a pavement property called “deflection” could save more that $15 billion in annual fuel costs, according to information provided by the Portland Cement Association (PCA).

Pavement deflection is when your car makes a slight indentation in the road from which you are constantly driving out of and burning more fuel. The effect is similar to walking on sand. With each step, your feet sink and create a dip.

MIT researchers found that using stiffer pavements decreases deflection and reduces fuel consumption by as much as 3 percent — a savings that could add up to 273 million barrels of crude oil per year, or $15.6 billion.

Concrete pavements, inherently stiffer than asphalt, can reduce a car’s “footprint” and gas costs.

By reducing the environmental footprint of our pavement systems, MIT researchers say they hope to achieve a more sustainable national infrastructure.

Source: Portland Cement Association (PCA)