Potholes: A Persistent Road Menace
Potholes continue to plague roadways, posing dangers to motorists and incurring substantial vehicle repair costs. Addressing these crevices is expensive, with the cost of repairs accumulating. The question remains: Why do potholes persist, and is there a solution on the horizon?
The Origin of Potholes
Potholes often originate from minuscule, invisible cracks in the road surface. Harsh weather conditions, inadequate drainage, and heavy traffic can all contribute to the degradation of road surfaces. In 2017, the UK witnessed over 2 million pothole repairs, amounting to £120 million in expenses.
Predicting the emergence of these microscopic cracks currently presents a challenge. However, in the future, precise measurement techniques may forecast when and where potholes will appear. Autonomous vehicles equipped with machinery could preemptively repair road damage, mitigating the growth of potholes.
Self-Healing Roads
Efforts are underway to develop innovative road materials, including “self-healing” asphalt, an area of exploration at the Nottingham Transportation Engineering Centre. Such materials could reduce the frequency of repairs, ideally transforming potholes into a distant memory.
Asphalt roads consist of mineral aggregates for structural stability and bitumen, a viscous binding agent. When cracks develop, bitumen flows into them to fill the gaps. However, the slow viscosity of bitumen at average temperatures means that trials may take weeks to heal, and they may outpace the repair process, leading to pothole formation.
To expedite road healing, researchers are exploring the use of tiny capsules containing asphalt rejuvenators, like sunflower oil or tall oil, which is a byproduct of paper production. These capsules break open when roads crack, releasing oil that softens the asphalt, facilitating quicker bonding and crack prevention. This approach aims to delay the onset of potholes by at least five years, reducing maintenance needs and the associated traffic disruptions.
Warming Up Solutions
According to the Local Government Association, road repair expenses in England and Wales could soon escalate to £14 billion, dwarfing council budgets. Another potential cost-saving solution studied at Brunel University involves using infrared heat for more durable and economical repairs.
Pothole development is greatly accelerated by wet weather and freezing and thawing cycles, leading to premature repair failures. Traditional pothole repair methods involve injecting boiling asphalt, but if the road is cold, the repair material’s temperature drops significantly, resulting in weaker bonds with the surrounding surface.
Brunel’s Pavement and Ground Engineering Research Group has devised the Controlled Pothole Repair System (CPRS) to enhance asphalt patch repair performance. This innovative method uses portable infrared heating equipment to preheat the road surface and the area underneath before making repairs.
The CPRS offers precise temperature control, yielding stronger bonds with replacement materials. It is designed for easy transport to repair sites and can be operated within a single lane, minimizing road closures. The aim is to deliver longer-lasting repairs, improving road quality, reducing maintenance expenses, and enhancing safety.
Ongoing research suggests that CPRS could extend the lifespan of asphalt patch repairs to five years, a substantial improvement over the current two-year average. Nationwide implementation could reduce costs by 25% to 50%, resulting in a network of superior roads, reduced maintenance and compensation expenses, and fewer accidents.
Read the original article on The Conversation.
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