Importance of Engineers:
Potholes often start as invisible microcracks on the road surface. In 2017, more than 2 million potholes on British roads were repaired at a cost of approximately £120 million. Machines are built into self-driving cars to clean and replenish damaged areas to repair roads before potholes expand. Meanwhile, the development of new pavement materials such as “self-healing” asphalt, which we are studying at the Nottingham Transportation Engineering Center, can reduce the frequency of repairs, and hopefully turn potholes into distant memories.
The asphalt road is composed of mineral aggregate, which provides structural stability, and bitumen, a viscous liquid that binds other materials together. The problem is that bitumen is a very viscous liquid at room temperature, and it can take weeks for the cracks to heal. With normal traffic, crack growth can occur faster than it fills. We are investigating the addition of small capsules of asphalt rejuvenating agents such as sunflower oil and tall oil, a by-product of papermaking, to speed up road “healing”.
Potholes:
As a result, asphalt sticks faster, effectively filling cracks and preventing small defects from deteriorating. This idea is expected to delay the initial pothole by at least 5 years, reducing the need for maintenance and the resulting problems (problems such as:). This is because the traditional method of using heat to repair potholes is to plumb hot asphalt. However, if the road is cold, the temperature of the repair material will drop significantly and the bond with the surrounding material will be weakened.
To improve the performance of asphalt surface repair, Brunel`s research group Road and Foundation Engineering has developed a controlled pothole repair system. This new method uses a portable infrared heater to preheat the road surface (and the area below it) before repair. The CPRS allows for much more accurate temperature control and provides a much higher bond strength for alternative materials. This creates a higher quality road surface, reduces accidents and reduces maintenance budgets.
Further research hopes that CPRS will be able to improve asphalt pavement repairs for up to five years.
Reference:
Garcia, A., Byzyka, J. and Rahman, M. (n.d.). Potholes: how engineers are working to fill in the gaps. [online] The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/potholes-how-engineers-are-working-to-fill-in-the-gaps-102055.
Thank you for your visit, and welcome to the construction home
