Pot Hole Repairs - An Intensive Guide

A pothole is a term that has no universally agreed definition. It is a concept that most of us are well acquainted with. Pedestrians frequently relate potholes to road surface defects of any shape or size. Therefore, it is considered a highly subjective topic. Road authorities are responsible for improving and maintaining the quality of roads. They must look into the fact that no potholes are left unrepaired. During the monsoon season, they should undertake efficient pothole repairing operations to the roads that are prone to form potholes.

The two main factors responsible for the deterioration of road surfaces are water logging and traffic. One of the major reasons for damaging condition of the road surfaces is the number of vehicles running on the road. More the number of vehicles, the faster will be the worsening of road surface creating more exposed potholes. The logged water in the underlying soil structure gives rise to potholes. Potholes might expand to several feet causing mess to the travelers as well as they hinder the speed and balance of transport.

Causes of Potholes

It is Sure that Potholes are Messy. But they are formed. Let’s Check.

The formation of potholes happens due to the contraction and expansion of water after entering into the ground under the pavement. The pavement tends to lose the binding with every vehicle passing over the weak-spots again and again. In addition to that, weight leads to the disintegration of the materials resulting in the creation of pothole.

Besides this, there are four basic causes behind the surfacing of potholes. They are as follows: 1. Inadequate drainage systems

2. Failures at castings and utility trenches

3. Lack of proper services like pot hole repairs leaving the cracks open which makes them exposed to moisture.

4. Insufficiency in the thickness of pavements.

There are several ways to avoid potholes. Besides the efficient programs of pot hole repairs, a few preventive measures should be followed.

Preventive Measures to Avoid Potholes

To avoid the formation of potholes, the following measures are suitable enough.

1. Building Sufficient Drainage Structures: One of the major factors that remove water from pavements is known as the drainage structure. A well-constructed drainage structure prevents the penetration of water into the soil structure of the pavement.

2. Surveying the Pavements: Narrow lanes or local roads are often considered as risky in terms of potholes. Therefore, regular monitoring of these pavements prevents any kind of peril on the road. For that, time to time pothole repairing is always highly recommended.

3. Preventive Maintenance: Maintaining the structural integrity of the pavement is a measure of  preventive maintenance. It aims to limit water penetration and also promotes unhindered water flow.

Pothole Repairing Processes:

There are several methods for pot hole repairs. They might either be semi-permanent or temporary.

1. Temporary Patching: It is most suited for harsh weather conditions where the conditions do not respond well to a permanent solution. This process is implemented by using the cold mix asphalt patching to restore the pavement smoothness temporarily.

2. Semi-permanent Patching: Need to be far more careful while reconstructing the perimeter of the damaged area to blend with the surrounding pavement. This method generally uses hot-mix asphalt that is used to replace the base materials.

In big cities where there is a heavy influx of traffic, a pothole is seen often more or less everywhere. At times, the authorities make timely arrangements to repair them and sometimes they fail to get it done. The vehicles should check their speed so that they do not get bumped into a pothole and a safety distance should be maintained between the vehicles to avoid any mishap due to pothole.