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- They won't pave the way: Rosavtodor criticized the construction of cement roads in Russia
They won't pave the way: Rosavtodor criticized the construction of cement roads in Russia
Rosavtodor opposed the construction of cement-concrete roads in the Russian Federation. The agency believes that such routes are less tolerant of temperature changes and frosts, and the use of studded rubber leads to the formation of ruts and cement dust. At the same time, cement-concrete roads can become widespread: the country has already adopted a number of GOSTs regulating the use of such technologies in the construction of highways. The company "Tsemros" plans to build 45 such roads this year. Business representatives, on the contrary, argue that such a coating is more durable than asphalt, is cheaper to operate and can potentially save the federal budget money. How the situation will develop and whether cement—concrete pavement will become an alternative to asphalt is in the Izvestia article.
Do we need concrete roads in Russia
Rosavtodor expressed doubt about the reliability and durability of cement-concrete roads, the construction of which can begin on a federal scale at the initiative of a large business. The agency told Izvestia that such routes are exposed to many factors during operation that can significantly reduce their operational and technical characteristics.
— One of the most significant negative impacts is the use of studded tires on such roads, especially at high speeds. The spikes cause intense abrasive wear of the surface, which leads to the formation of ruts, potholes and a decrease in the evenness of the coating, " Rosavtodor explained to Izvestia.
The department also noted that in the United States and about 20 EU countries with cement-concrete roads, the use of such rubber by drivers is prohibited by law. According to them, it also increases the noise level and contributes to the formation of dust when rubbing against the coating.
Concrete roads are highways paved with a cement—concrete mixture. They are highly resistant to loads, but have special features in construction, operation and maintenance. In the USSR, such coatings were actively used, but by 1980 they were gradually abandoned due to a complex of factors - climatic, technological and economic. The initiative to resume the construction of cement—concrete roads was taken by the largest cement company "Cemros" (until 2023 - "Eurocement"). According to open data, it unites 18 cement plants and more than 30 quarries for the extraction of non-metallic materials.
In addition, a significant negative factor is temperature fluctuations, frosts and exposure to moisture, which lead to thermal stresses, cracking and gradual destruction of the concrete structure.
"In the conditions of the Russian climate, these processes are particularly pronounced," Rosavtodor emphasized. — Deicing reagents, petroleum products and other aggressive substances can cause corrosion of concrete and reinforcement, accelerating the destruction of the coating.
At the same time, the ministry noted that Russia is already implementing a wide range of measures to regulate the use of CBP in road construction. In particular, a number of GOST standards have been adopted that establish requirements for the use of this material.
The fact that the topic is being considered at the state level is evidenced by the instruction in 2025 from First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov to the Ministry of Transport, together with the Ministry of Finance and Soyuzcement, to evaluate the economic efficiency of using cement-concrete technologies in road construction. In the same year, the Ministry of Construction approved Order No. 127 dated March 5, which established consolidated standards for the cost of road construction, taking into account different types of coatings. According to these data, the cost of a kilometer of asphalt road turned out to be 9-11% higher than the highway with a central highway.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Finance with a request to comment on the prospects for the possible construction of such roads.
What arguments does business have in favor of concrete roads?
The company "Tsemros", which has already planned 45 construction projects of such routes this year, adheres to a different point of view.
— According to Rosavtodor, only 34% of federal and 4% of regional asphalt roads today are able to withstand the regulatory load of 11.5 tons per axle. In the backbone network, which is supposed to become the backbone of freight transportation, only 12% of highways are available for heavy vehicles," Denis Nazarov, the company's director of procurement and logistics, explained to Izvestia, citing an argument pointing to the fragility of the existing road surface.
According to him, the strategic way out of the trap of restrictions and high repair costs is a massive transition to cement—concrete roads, the economic effectiveness of which has already been confirmed by a study by the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
According to a study carried out at the initiative of the cement industry (Izvestia has it), the construction and operation of roads with CBP can reduce the costs of the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation by 29.69%, providing savings of 573.2 billion rubles over 11 years. Also, according to the authors, the increase in cargo turnover may amount to 26.7% (103.3 billion t-km).
— In countries that have long faced heavy freight traffic, the choice is made in favor of hard surfaces. According to the research of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, in the USA the length of highways with cement concrete is 26.6 thousand km (24.6% of all highways), and in China — about 90 thousand km (47.2%). In the Russian Federation, the share of such coatings on motorways is only 2% (about 1.3 thousand km), — said Denis Nazarov.
Global experience and Russian realities agree on one thing: it is pointless to continue repairing asphalt, blocking traffic every year and losing billions, the industry representative emphasizes.
— For our country, the transition to rigid "road clothes" is not so much a technological as a political and economic task. The necessary tools, production facilities, regulatory framework and economic justifications are already ready. It remains to make a decision that will allow avoiding seasonal traffic restrictions, penalty costs due to overloads and regular highway repairs," he said.
This opinion is shared by Soyuzcement.
— It is impossible to solve the problems of increasing the service life of highways and increasing their bearing capacity without the widespread introduction of innovative technologies, the use of cement concrete, mineral and complex binders in the construction of highways. As the practice of states that are already actively using such technologies and materials shows, highways with central heating systems and foundations need to be repaired only once every 12 years, while their total service life ranges from 30 to 50 years, the organization's press service told Izvestia.
They noted that Russian factories are constantly working to improve the quality of cement for the needs of road construction.
— They are ready to fully provide the industry with high-quality road cements, which are used to produce a new generation of concretes with increased strength and durability. At the same time, the cost of cement is growing much slower than the cost of bitumen,"Soyuzcement noted.
The company expects that a federal program for the construction of such roads may appear in Russia in the near future.
Russia is not France, not Italy, we have a completely different climate, and concrete is certainly a very difficult material for roads for our conditions, said Georgy Ostapkovich, scientific director of the HSE Center for Market Research, in a conversation with Izvestia. According to him, the repair of such tracks, unlike asphalt, will not be fast, since concrete cannot simply be rolled up with a roller, it will have to be completely changed, and this will take time. Therefore, those who decide on the massive construction of such roads in Russia should weigh the pros and cons. At the same time, he admitted that such a measure would partially support the cement business amid the crisis in the construction industry.
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