The challenge of building roads in Chile, at the south of the world

Axel URIEL S.
Departamento Técnico. Sacyr en Chile

Víctor ARMIJOS C.
Departamento Innovación y Desarrollo. Sacyr en Chile

ABSTRACT 

This article presents road infrastructure works that are carried out in Chile, a country with a coastline length of 4.329 km, which makes it an area with diverse climatic conditions. Despite being one of the most developed countries in Latin America, within Chile there is an 64% road network with basic solutions in its road infrastructure (dirt roads and with low standard), an 12% of basic solutions (simple treatment, doubles, soil stabilization, among others) and only an 24% paved road network (concrete or asphalt mix). This is how construction companies have had a great challenge when faced with different climatic conditions for the construction of roads, both in concrete and asphalt mix. It has also been necessary to develop new paving technologies such as emulsion and recycled tempered pavement, and concrete slab fracturing through the rubblizing process. 

KEYWORDS:

Highway, Chile, Road infrastructure, Pavement, Road network, Weather conditions, Recycling, Rubblizing.