Roads can crack, rut, and fail. Here’s how to build them well

While on the road, you’re probably thinking more about your destination than the pavement you’re driving over. But building roads requires a host of engineering feats, from developing the right pavement materials to using heavy equipment to lay them down. The better they’re built, the longer roads last and the fewer construction delays drivers have to endure. I am an engineer who does research on materials used in roads. Scholars in my field are working to develop materials that can...