High temperatures in several regions of Kazakhstan have caused deformation of cement-concrete pavement on highways. The Ministry of Transport explained the phenomenon as a natural physical process, confirmed by global practice, reports infohub.kz.
According to the National Center for Road Asset Quality under the Ministry of Transport, air temperatures in some areas reach +35 to +40 °C, while road surfaces heat up to +60 to +70 °C and higher. In such conditions, cement-concrete slabs expand, creating internal compressive stresses. When critical values are reached and expansion joints cannot fully compensate, slabs may buckle or lift locally.
The center emphasized that this is a known operational risk and does not indicate poor construction. Similar cases have been recorded in the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, South Korea, Australia, and other countries. "Even with full compliance with design and construction requirements, cement-concrete pavements obey the laws of physics and under extreme climatic conditions are subject to significant temperature effects," specialists noted.
Key factors for the defects include prolonged abnormal heat, significant heating of the pavement, accumulation of temperature stresses, condition of expansion joints, design features, and operating conditions. Globally, road services intensify monitoring and carry out preventive measures during heatwaves: quickly relieving internal stresses in slabs, applying temporary or permanent asphalt concrete surfaces, regulating traffic, and inspecting the most heavily loaded sections.
In Kazakhstan, road organizations conduct round-the-clock monitoring of cement-concrete roads. Identified defects are promptly repaired using standard technological solutions. The situation is under constant supervision of the Ministry of Transport. Similar problems were previously noted on the Astana–Shchuchinsk, Astana–Pavlodar, and Shymkent–Uzbekistan border highways.