Video: Solar Freakin Roadways promo video

[VulgarDisplay]

You do realize the amount of energy required to do that right? The video Waggy posted also talks about that. It's actually more energy than I thought.

I really do think we need more solar/wind power, but this is not the right approach imo. At least with slanted solar panels you could have some kind of wiper system that pushes the snow off, and since they are rather slippery it should be able to slide right off fairly cleanly.

they aren't slippery though that would defeat the purpose of the road. what video talks about how much energy it would take to keep the road at just above freezing?

 

[DCal430]

As usual, someone dissenting against us OMG anti-innovators exposes their illiteracy.

This is dumb. You are dumb. Your arguments are dumb. Deal with it.

Wow you really are stupid. You have no real arguments, only stupid comments.

 

[phucheneh]

Wow you really are stupid. You have no real arguments, only stupid comments.

No, I pointed out how utterly fucking stupid this is quite a while ago. There are no arguments to made; only dumb people to single themselves out as having no grasp on reality. Or grade-school science.

Thunderf00t's Youtube videos, linked here pretty recently, do a pretty good job of saving me from having to explain to you why this is stupid. Said videos are a bit simple and repetitive, but hey- I think he knows his audience.

 

[VtPC83]

Folks should check out this page:

http://www.solarroadways.com/clearingthefreakinair.shtml

It is the response from the creators to alot of the naysayers out there. Something worth reading even if you disagree. They provide what scientific proof they can. For example, they provide the mohs hardness scale and show that glass is actually a harder substance than asphalt to disprove those saying glass is softer.

 

[Andy22]

Folks should check out this page:

http://www.solarroadways.com/clearingthefreakinair.shtml

It is the response from the creators to alot of the naysayers out there. Something worth reading even if you disagree. They provide what scientific proof they can. For example, they provide the mohs hardness scale and show that glass is actually a harder substance than asphalt to disprove those saying glass is softer.

This sure makes it seem like a lot of that is silly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocV-RnVQdcs

 

[SlushySolid]

Folks should check out this page:

http://www.solarroadways.com/clearingthefreakinair.shtml

It is the response from the creators to alot of the naysayers out there. Something worth reading even if you disagree. They provide what scientific proof they can. For example, they provide the mohs hardness scale and show that glass is actually a harder substance than asphalt to disprove those saying glass is softer.

Half of the "False Claims" they answered were just them regurgitating statistics and not showing the actual logistics of their project. They're just giving smart ass remarks to every legitimate hole in their project as if that somehow makes the project more feasible.

They can't answer these questions for a reason.

 

[BergeLSU]

Half of the "False Claims" they answered were just them regurgitating statistics and not showing the actual logistics of their project. They're just giving smart ass remarks to every legitimate hole in their project as if that somehow makes the project more feasible.

They can't answer these questions for a reason.

Showing the hardness rating of generic glass really doesn't show anything.

Another huge issue that would need to be addressed is thermal expansion. You have all of these plates and would need to have expansion joints. Well, in most roadways, the joints or gaps are where cracks and fractures start. The more you have, the more placing for failures to occur.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Showing the hardness rating of generic glass really doesn't show anything.

Another huge issue that would need to be addressed is thermal expansion. You have all of these plates and would need to have expansion joints. Well, in most roadways, the joints or gaps are where cracks and fractures start. The more you have, the more placing for failures to occur.

You can clearly see in their prototype road that there is room for expansion and contraction. It also allows for water to move off the the sides underneath the road surface.

 

[BergeLSU]

You can clearly see in their prototype road that there is room for expansion and contraction. It also allows for water to move off the the sides underneath the road surface.

From a road design perspective, you want as few expansion joints as possible, because those are the fracture points. If a concrete roadway needs to be dug up, generally the contractor is required to replace the entire section, and not just patch it.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

i wonder if you could steal these at night for home use?

 

[MrPickins]

Folks should check out this page:

http://www.solarroadways.com/clearingthefreakinair.shtml

It is the response from the creators to alot of the naysayers out there. Something worth reading even if you disagree. They provide what scientific proof they can. For example, they provide the mohs hardness scale and show that glass is actually a harder substance than asphalt to disprove those saying glass is softer.

It seems that these people think that any dissenting opinion is based on misleading information, and that people who question them are "haters".

If their product was as good as they claim, there would be no need to get so defensive...

 

[ImpulsE69]

I don't know, they don't come off nearly as pompous as Microsoft. Defending yourself on the internet when you are a startup? Pretty much going to be the norm because of the anonymity of haters and 40 year old jaded know it alls on the internet.

None of their responses seem out of line at all(actually the last bit is a bit over the top, but then this isn't some corporation).

As for expansion/contraction? We do this already today with roads and glass alike. Not sure where the argument is here. I will say though that I thought this was an 'addition' to new roads (within or under the concrete structures), not a replacement. From reading that response I do not think that is exactly what they are striving for...but then again, as it says over and over, it's all still in R&D. Hell it may never get beyond that. Regardless, I still think there are ideas here that may be useful. If nothing else, just to get people thinking outside of the box.

Our government throws trillions away on failed concepts. This is a drop in the bucket, and much more useful than the next "anti terrorist" weapon or oh wait..giving local police departments military gear/vehicles.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

i wonder if you could steal these at night for home use?

If you can figure out how to disable the tracking devices in them sure.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

This isn't being designed by people who are amatures. It is being done by people with advance degrees and years of experience in the field.

none of those degrees are in earth sciences, that is painfully obvious

It is distributing that people like you with zero experience and education in these areas seem to think you know than people with advance degrees and years of experience in a field. Please tell me what qualifications do you have.

no, what is truly disturbing (I'm assuming you meant disturbing, not distributing) is that people like you are so ready to abstain from skepticism and accept any claims from authority as long as they appeal to your fantasies.

an introductory earth science class would reveal that they are woefully ignorant about the materials unless they have some "magic" material they are holding out on us, and if they do they're not being honest and forthwith about the technology like a true scientist would be, which would likely mean they have ulterior motives

a painfully obvious example of their ignorance and/or deception:

source: http://www.solarroadways.com/clearingthefreakinair.shtml

As you can see, asphalt has a hardness of 1.3, copper has a hardness of 3, iron and nickel have a hardness of 4, and steel falls between 4 and 4.5. As you get closer to diamond, you finally come to glass, which has a hardness of 5.5-6.0.

So if anyone tries to tell you that glass is soft, just remind them that even simple window glass is harder than steel. By comparison, it's asphalt that is soft.

One more thing: When you temper glass, it becomes 4-5 times stronger than the non-tempered glass listed in mohs hardness scale (it doesn't make it harder - just stronger). Bulletproof and bomb (blast) resistant glass is made with tempered glass.

Solar Road Panels are also made of tempered glass.

1. asphalt is only one component of blacktop roads, the other materials in the aggregate are much harder (harder than glass), the asphalt merely acts as a glue to hold it all together (being soft is a good thing).

2. blacktop doesn't need to be hard like a solar roadway would have to be, the whole point of the glass surface is to allow light through for the solar elements to harvest energy, and a high hardness is what you need to resist scuffing.

3. it doesn't matter that glass is harder than steel, steel and many metals are very soft materials, what we have to worry about is the silicates that comprise the majority of the earth's crust, such as quartz which is the most common continental mineral, and is harder than glass and steel. Dust and sand comprised of such silicates will ruin a glass road, and while it might scratch up an already rough blacktop surface, that doesn't really matter, it doesn't need to be transparent and unblemished like glass surface does for a solar road.

4. they're being pretty deceitful when they go off tangent talking about how glass is harder than steel (what does steel have to do with anything here? the problem will be from dirt/sand/dust, not steel, it doesn't matter that glass is harder than steel...), or that tempered glass is stronger (they even admit that strength does not have to do with hardness, but you need to tell your friends anyway!), or how they say "as you get closer to diamond, you finally come to glass, which has a hardness of 5.5-6.0" (good for glass, diamond has a hardness of 10, many silicates are above 6, quartz is a 7, glass will lose)

5. and then there's the comment about bulletproof/bomb (blast) resistant glass, and then they associate the solar road glass with that. First off, "bulletproof" / blast resistant glass is not cheap. Second, it is meant to protect against a single incident, i.e. once its damaged it needs to be replaced. Such glass will still scratch and scuff just as easily, it just doesn't shatter, at least not in the same way, and that's because its actually made with two or more types of glass (and often other material, such as plastics), one hard and one soft, the soft material allows for flex and prevents the catastrophic shattering you get with hard glass.


And that's just [pun]scratching the surface[/pun] as to how their idea is fundamentally flawed

 

[PottedMeat]

If you can figure out how to disable the tracking devices in them sure.

just slip it into a metal box, it's probably only got very short range communication

 

[phucheneh]

5. and then there's the comment about bulletproof/bomb (blast) resistant glass, and then they associate the solar road glass with that. First off, "bulletproof" / blast resistant glass is not cheap. Second, it is meant to protect against a single incident, i.e. once its damaged it needs to be replaced. Such glass will still scratch and scuff just as easily, it just doesn't shatter, at least not in the same way, and that's because its actually made with two or more types of glass (and often other material, such as plastics), one hard and one soft, the soft material allows for flex and prevents the catastrophic shattering you get with hard glass.

Is there even such a think as 'bulletproof glass?' Or 'resistant' or whatever. I was under the impression that all ballistic glass is essentially a type of plastic. Hardness is not its goal at all- it NEEDS to be able to distort to avoid being broken by a large concussive force. Or to absorb the energy of bullets or shrapnel, which ideally end up encapsulated in the 'glass.'

 

[halik]

In about a week social media will be on the next asinine idea used to fleece retards that skipped out on science classes in highschool.

 

[mpo]

3. it doesn't matter that glass is harder than steel, steel and many metals are very soft materials, what we have to worry about is the silicates that comprise the majority of the earth's crust, such as quartz which is the most common continental mineral, and is harder than glass and steel. Dust and sand comprised of such silicates will ruin a glass road, and while it might scratch up an already rough blacktop surface, that doesn't really matter, it doesn't need to be transparent and unblemished like glass surface does for a solar road.

I would take it one step further. The road surface as presented is going to have absolutely horrible ride quality. The panels are mechanically fastened to the road subsurface. Metal on tempered glass is a no-no. There has to be some sort of rubber/urethane/silicone bumper between the fastener and the glass plate. If there was a metal on glass connection, there would be a greater chance of panel shattering.

Well, as you get water infiltration underneath the glass panels, you will also get a build-up of incompressible materials such as sand, silt, and clays. The hydraulic pumping action introduces a lot of stress in typical concrete pavements, such as corner cracking and faulting. Because the glass panels are so small, there is a lot more opportunity for this type of stress to show up in the road.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Is there even such a think as 'bulletproof glass?' Or 'resistant' or whatever. I was under the impression that all ballistic glass is essentially a type of plastic. Hardness is not its goal at all- it NEEDS to be able to distort to avoid being broken by a large concussive force. Or to absorb the energy of bullets or shrapnel, which ideally end up encapsulated in the 'glass.'

yeah that was my point, they are clearly pandering to the ignorant masses when throwing around a term like "bulletproof glass" when such a thing is nothing like what they are putting on their solar panels, and even if it was it wouldn't do any good anyway, they just know it sounds impressive to the average layperson who likely doesn't know what it is or how it works...which is why they're telling people to tell their friends that glass is harder than steel and thus is good to go for use on roads!

 

[halik]

Is there even such a think as 'bulletproof glass?' Or 'resistant' or whatever. I was under the impression that all ballistic glass is essentially a type of plastic. Hardness is not its goal at all- it NEEDS to be able to distort to avoid being broken by a large concussive force. Or to absorb the energy of bullets or shrapnel, which ideally end up encapsulated in the 'glass.'

Ballistic glass is really just a laminate of glass and polycarbonate. Big sandwitch of layers that deform and absorb the energy.

 

[WelshBloke]

For example, they provide the mohs hardness scale and show that glass is actually a harder substance than asphalt to disprove those saying glass is softer.

I don't think that anyone would argue that asphalt is harder that glass.

The point is that asphalt deforms under stress rather than breaks. The "softness" also adds to the grip you get.

I'm not sure that I would like trying to corner at speed on a wet glass road that's covered with dust and grit.

 

[Phoenix86]

Glass road + water + cars = ???

 

[PottedMeat]

Glass road + water + cars = ???

this could work

bumper cars + inductive charging

 

[Phoenix86]

this could work

bumper cars + inductive charging

I have been an advocate of nerf cars for years. Hmm. :hmm:

 

[DrPizza]

I keep seeing this thread getting bumped; without reading through the discussion, I presume people have been mentioning this won't work?

1. Sand/dirt. Quartz crystals are harder than glass. The surface will get scratched, become more and more opaque. And, scratches aren't good, at all, for glass - decreases its strength by at least an order of magnitude. I can't imaging a scenario where the subsurface is rigid enough to avoid stress in the glass surface. Without scratches, the surface may stand up to those forces, but I highly doubt they would with scratches.


When I was at Alfred University for ceramics/glass engineering, one demo that I remember that was done for visitors was to hand out short pieces of glass rods; maybe 2 inches long. After a discussion, the rods were tested for shear strength. Those that were gripped between two fingers, one at each end, so that none of the lateral surface was touched, withstood about 4 times as much shear force as those that had been held in the palms of people's hands for as little as a couple minutes. You can imagine how much weaker a visible scratch would make them.