Patchwork Potholes
There are an enormous number of vehicles our road systems have to accommodate every day, all of varying sizes and weights. Roads make up a lot of our landscape, and allow us to get to and from places with ease and comfort, most of the time. So, having them be in poor condition can become a significant source of frustration.
How do potholes work?
Across the country, we mainly have roads made from asphalt, which is cost effective, yet smooth and durable. However, they do suffer from some problems, one of those being potholes.
Here’s how the formation of a pothole occurs:
Deterioration of the surface pavement
Our roads stand up to a lot of abuse, from the constant barrage of traffic, to harsh weather conditions such as sunlight, rain and snow. This will all contribute to wearing down the road surface over time. This can lead to cracking, which lets in water, and leads to more issues.
Water finds its way into the cracks of the road
As water gradually finds its way into cracks and below the road surface, it can get trapped between the layer of soil and asphalt. Eventually, this leads to the soil becoming waterlogged, which softens and weakens it.
The traffic shows up
Cars and trucks are extremely heavy, so when they pass over roads at rapid speeds, it can be very tough for a waterlogged and weakened road to withstand.
Each time a tyre hits this soft and waterlogged area beneath the road surface, it pushes some of the water that’s trapped back out again. This water will carry particles of soil with it, and over time this will lead to less and less support beneath the road surface. Eventually, the road surface loses enough support, and creates a pothole.
Why are potholes a problem?
Potholes can cost billions of pounds worth of damage to tyres, shock absorbers and wheels of vehicles. Even worse, drivers will swerve to avoid them, and sometimes get into a collision with a bike, motorcycle, or other car.
Because of this, roadway owners spend a lot of time and money fixing them by replacing the soil and asphalt, essentially creating a bandage over the pothole. However, this doesn’t always create a perfect fix, and water can still creep in if it hasn’t been repaired properly. So, this is why potholes can often recur in the same location.
How should potholes be correctly fixed?
As an obvious solution to this problem, roadway owners could decide to build our roads out of more durable materials.
However, even a small change in road design can have a significant impact on cost. For example, choosing to make our roads even 1cm thicker, could mean using millions of tonnes of additional asphalt, as that extra 1cm gets multiplied by a large area.
Rather than doing this, sealing the initial cracks that appear in the roads to prevent the intrusion of water would lead to a lower overall maintenance cost.