Why does asphalt melt in the UK and why do rails bend in the heat?

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Why in the UK does asphalt on roads and airports melt in the heat, and rails swell and bend? Well, until recently, the UK didn’t have any issues with the high temperatures in the summer, so the infrastructure wasn’t designed to handle the heat. However, elements of this infrastructure will probably need to be replaced soon in order to adapt the roads, railways and air transport system to harsh weather conditions.

Heat system and rail transport in the UK

Steel bars tend to bend in the heat and expand regardless of the climate. The rails are generally designed to operate at temperatures up to 45°C (113°F), but in the UK they are pre-tightened to only 27°C, and when the air reaches 40°C, the rails can reach as hot as It reaches 60°C, which can cause it to stretch and bend. The whole process can also be accelerated by a train traveling in high heat at a high speed (this is a friction effect). In addition, at high temperatures, the upper wires are deformed, and therefore they can become entangled in the pan – the train element in contact with the contact wire that is used to apply the supply voltage.

Melting asphalt on UK roads

Melting asphalt is a big problem in Britain’s heat. The highways and other strategic roads on the islands are built of materials that are resistant to high temperatures. National highways stipulate that these roads must withstand temperatures above 60°C, or more or less up to 40°C of air temperature. However, the problem is the asphalt used on domestic roads, which can begin to deform when heated to 50 ° C – the road can become soft and sticky, difficult for cars to brake – emphasizes the professor. Xiangming Zhou, Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brunel University.

Surface melting at airports

Another very serious problem is surface melting at British airports. Runways are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures because they are unprotected, and additional heat stress is caused by aircraft taking off and landing. A few days ago, serious thermal problems occurred at Luton Airport, as the runway literally melted.