Evolución del diseño en firmes de carreteras y nuevos materiales en la era de la economía circularun cambio de paradigma

Abstract

Throughout history of humanity, transit of people and goods through territory has been a matter of great interest for nations. The strength or weakness of empires has depended, in no small part, on the existence of a sufficiently extensive road network, with solid bearing structure to allow movement of armies, goods and people. This work investigates features and evolution of pavements for interurban roads throughout history, from antiquity to the present day, identifying paradigms (structural and superficial) that have prevailed in the design of road pavements. In this sense, both the practical part (remains, findings and material results) and the theoretical contribution to the development of pavement engineering in the form of scientific production (tests, modelling of the pavement structure, design professionalization) are analysed. Through the study of the technological status in each historical moment and the circumstances that have led to the abandonment of a paradigm and its replacement by another design, the current vectors of change are identified, and the reasoning is transferred to the present moment. The final goal is to analyse whether the conditions exist that allow us to infer a paradigm shift in road pavements in the coming years for which it is necessary to be ready. With the completion of this work, it is expected also to achieve a book able to synthesize the history of road pavements in Spanish language. This document pretends to serve as an approach to the concept and to contribute not only for considering the road heritage worth, but also to the illustration of all those young people who, like the author, were once interested in the genesis, development and evolution of our roads.