Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/699963
July 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com 62 T he pothole is the bane of both the driver and a transportation de- partment. It can ruin a morning commute and overshadow any positive roadway construction projects in an area. According to AAA, pothole damage costs U.S. drivers roughly $3 billion a year, with roughly 16 million drivers experiencing some form of pothole damage to their vehicles over the past fi ve years. "On average, American drivers re- port paying $300 to repair pothole-re- lated vehicle damage," says said John Nielsen, AAA's managing director of Automotive Engineering and Re- pair. "Those whose vehicles incurred this type of damage had it happen frequently, with an average of three times in the past fi ve years." The public perception of pot- hole repair in a community can be limited to nothing much more than one worker fi lling a hole with a bag of cold patch, followed by a quick tamping or a simple drive-over with a truck. This perception is further clouded with the resulting crumbling and cracking a short while later on the same spot. From city to county to the state level, transportation governing agen- cies put a lot of effort into repairing potholes. Many offer multiple means for the public to notify of pothole locations, from apps, to websites and hotlines. But identifying and locating them isn't the issue. It's the effi cient and thorough repair that's the concern. In the quest for better solutions, contractors and transportation departments are turning to other options beyond the standard road crew fi ll and go. Infrared heating These spot heaters use infrared heat to superheat (to between 1,500 and 1,900 degrees) existing asphalt so it can be reworked and formed back into place. An area to be repaired is heated until the asphalt is "workable" and pliant, then a "rejuvenating com- pound" is added along with recycled and/or new asphalt, which is then smoothed out over patch. The asphalt heating is from within, highway contractor | by Chris Hill | ChrisHill@randallreilly.com Innovations are on the rise, but the basics still rule This pavement section shows continued pothole problems despite multiple repair attempts. Image: Missouri DOT