Does the type of pavement actually affect fuel efficiency? Common sense dictates that it probably should. After all, a rougher pavement like gravel should produce more friction on your tires compared to concrete for asphalt. And more friction should mean lower fuel efficiency, correct?
The answer is yes and no. The Portland Cement Association conducted a study to see if different pavement types actually affected overall fuel consumption. For this study, they tested a wide range of vehicle types, including cars, trucks, and semis. Other factors such as roadway design, pavement conditions, and straightness of the roadway were also taken into account. They tested four different types of pavement in the study, including asphaltic concrete, cement concrete, asphalt surface treatment, and gravel. Also, they tested the different speeds to see if that affected gas mileage.
After running many tests with different cars, trucks, speeds, pavement conditions, and more, they came to the conclusion that pavement type did not significantly affect the fuel efficiency of automobiles. Some automobies would have higher gas mileage on asphalt, while others fared better on concrete. However, what they did discover was that semitrailer trucks on concrete pavement averaged one mile per gallon better than on comparible asphalt pavement – a difference of 20% between the two pavement types. They say that this follows logic since trucks cause more deflection on flexible pavements than rigid pavements. More deflection means less energy going to actually propel the truck forward.
So there you have it. For most of us, the type of pavement isn’t really going to affect our gas mileage. Now if you’re driving a semi, then stick to more rigid pavement and save up to 20% in fuel.
To really increase your gas mileage, why not install an apparatus that helps fuel your car on water? Gas4Free does just that. Check it out here.
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