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Quiz about This is Hardcore
Quiz about This is Hardcore

This is Hardcore Trivia Quiz


Lots of things are termed "Hardcore" nowadays, but thiz quiz has the genuine article! And a few other things besides, all of which go into the building of our roads and highways. How much do you know about the humble pavement under your feet?

A multiple-choice quiz by Rowena8482. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Rowena8482
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
333,754
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
431
Last 3 plays: PurpleComet (7/10), Guest 155 (3/10), Guest 173 (5/10).
Question 1 of 10
1. As the title of this quiz states, "This is Hardcore". In roadbuilding terms, what *is* hardcore? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. To determine the strength of the underlying layers of a road, a test known as CBR is used. What does CBR stand for? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Something called 'planings' are sometimes used during the construction of a new road. They can be in with the asphalt top layer, or lower down as part of the sub-base layer. What are these planings? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Various regulations governing road construction around the world set out size limits for different aggregate particles and materials. Often, these use microns; what is a micron? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Macadam is a name often associated with roadbuilding, as the inventor of Tarmacadam, often shortened to Tarmac. Do you know Mr. Macadam's forenames? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Until the mid 1990s, the most widely used road surfacing material in the UK was 'hot rolled asphalt'. Using this meant that a layer of something else had to be added to the top of the road surface before it could be used. What was this addition? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. To a roadbuilder, what does the acronym SMA stand for? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. One of the world's premier producers of asphalt products for roadbuilding is TLA, short for T____ Lake Asphalt. Which place does the T stand for? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Many people will have heard the phrase "All roads lead to Rome", but where exactly in Rome was the 'Millarium Aureum' or Golden Milestone, that was considered the beginning of every roman road? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Who was the Roman military engineer and architect whose book "De Architectura" survives to this day, and laid out the specifics for building a Roman road? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 24 2024 : PurpleComet: 7/10
Mar 23 2024 : Guest 155: 3/10
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 173: 5/10
Mar 10 2024 : Ithaqua: 3/10
Feb 28 2024 : Guest 173: 4/10
Feb 17 2024 : Guest 208: 3/10
Feb 13 2024 : bigwoo: 7/10
Feb 06 2024 : MemeQueen: 0/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. As the title of this quiz states, "This is Hardcore". In roadbuilding terms, what *is* hardcore?

Answer: Poorly graded stone, often waste or contaminated with other things

When building a road, the actual ground upon which it will lie is called the subgrade. If this needs some strengthening, or to fill in any remaining contours after rolling or ramming, hardcore is used for the first layer of road. It comprises lumps of brick, stone, masonry, and any other demolition or quarry waste available. It can also have wood, plastic, or other waste mixed in it, and tends to be unprocessed.

Hardcore allows the higher layers of the road to be better compacted during construction and makes the road stronger and more stable.
2. To determine the strength of the underlying layers of a road, a test known as CBR is used. What does CBR stand for?

Answer: California Bearing Ratio

The CBR is defined as "The ability of a material to resist an applied load compared to that of a standard granular material expressed as a percentage". The lower the result, the weaker the material is. The seasonal differences in the CBR of various roadbuilding materials must also be taken into account - some substances have an appreciable difference from summer to winter, or between wet and dry values.
3. Something called 'planings' are sometimes used during the construction of a new road. They can be in with the asphalt top layer, or lower down as part of the sub-base layer. What are these planings?

Answer: Milled bits of the previous road surface

When a road is to be resurfaced, the current surface layer is removed by a 'milling machine' type planing vehicle. This has a large roller or wheel with toothed edges, and scrapes the old top surface off the road, chewing it into fine pieces as it goes. These pieces are the planings, or milled pavement, which can then be recycled to form part of the new road.
4. Various regulations governing road construction around the world set out size limits for different aggregate particles and materials. Often, these use microns; what is a micron?

Answer: One thousandth of a millimetre

A micron is one thousandth of a millimetre, or one millionth of a metre. The symbol used to represent a micron is the Greek letter mu and an m.(ìm)
A micron can also be called a micrometer, with micron being used to distinguish between the unit and the instrument which measures it.
5. Macadam is a name often associated with roadbuilding, as the inventor of Tarmacadam, often shortened to Tarmac. Do you know Mr. Macadam's forenames?

Answer: John Loudon

John Loudon Macadam was born in Scotland, in 1756, and developed his "macadamisation" process during the early nineteenth century. This process has been said to have been the "first major change in road construction since the Romans", and is now used worldwide.
6. Until the mid 1990s, the most widely used road surfacing material in the UK was 'hot rolled asphalt'. Using this meant that a layer of something else had to be added to the top of the road surface before it could be used. What was this addition?

Answer: Stone chippings

The stone chippings were spread before the asphalt had completely cooled, and rolled in. This gave a better grip for tyres and reduced the chances of vehicles skidding.
7. To a roadbuilder, what does the acronym SMA stand for?

Answer: Stone Mastic Asphalt

Stone Mastic Asphalt is a fairly modern innovation in road construction. It was developed in Germany, during the 1960s, and is a more stable and durable road surface than other kinds of asphalt. It is often used for roads where traffic flow is heavy.
The mastic is made by mixing bitumen with a mix of powdered limestone and fibre, called filler. The pieces of stone are then mixed through the mastic, and the surface is laid. In appearance, a stone mastic surface looks almost like a mosaic, or even a fruit cake, with the pieces of stone aggregate surrounded by the mastic.
8. One of the world's premier producers of asphalt products for roadbuilding is TLA, short for T____ Lake Asphalt. Which place does the T stand for?

Answer: Trinidad

Trinidad Lake Asphalt are based in La Brea in Trinidad. They mine bitumen from Pitch Lake and process it in various ways, for export.
The Trinidadian La Brea should not be confused with 'the' La Brea Tar Pits of Los Angeles, where the dinosaur remains are found.
In the UK, asphalt is used to describe several different substances made up of bitumen and various other things. In the USA these are known as 'hot mix.' In America, asphalt is a term used solely for bitumen.
9. Many people will have heard the phrase "All roads lead to Rome", but where exactly in Rome was the 'Millarium Aureum' or Golden Milestone, that was considered the beginning of every roman road?

Answer: In the Forum, near the Temple of Saturn

All distances within the Roman Empire were calculated from the Millarium Aureum. It was placed in the Forum, close to the Temple of Saturn, by Caesar Augustus.
A standard Roman milestone on a main route was seven feet tall, with the bottom two feet buried in the ground, and weighed around two tons! Archaeologists think that the Millarium Aureum was four times this size, and either made of, or gilded with, bronze on a marble plinth.
10. Who was the Roman military engineer and architect whose book "De Architectura" survives to this day, and laid out the specifics for building a Roman road?

Answer: Vitruvius

Roman roads were built using almost the same principles in use today. Via munita, the 'regular roads' were identical other than variations in local stone, no matter where in the Empire they were laid.
The three lowest layers in the construction, laid onto the packed earth, were the statumen, audits, and nucleus. These are equivalent to the hardcore subbase, base, and the binder courses in a modern road.
There are a crater and a mountain on the Moon named for Vitruvius.
Source: Author Rowena8482

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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