Pothole solution

MayoForSam

With the crumbling state of our country's road infrastructure, especially minor country roads, isn't it about time some technology was brought to bear? A few lads with shovels and a bit of tar and chips might do a temporary job but next bout of heavy rain and the holes just keep coming back.

This New Zealand technology seems to do a decent job: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8529964.stm

Maybe some of our councils have bought one or two of these but I haven't seen any around my neck of the woods. What will the minor roads be like in 5 years time with no investment? Not much point having state-of-the-art motorways linking up the cities if your car's suspension is shot by the time you get on to the entrance ramp :rolleyes:.

-Corkie-

They have them down here in years. Its a waste of time. First truck that hits it will blow all the chips out of it again. Although i would say the boys dont know how to use them properly.:rolleyes:

aquascrotum

Roads Service in NI have a few of these yokes and they're cack, unfortunately.

They buy you time, and not much at that.

-Corkie-

I see that mayo cc are one of the few councils that dont have them. Your lucky op!!!!!. Btw it says in article it takes 2 men to operate it, here in the rebel county it takes four sometimes 5:D:D

Cookie_Monster

malcox wrote: »

I see that mayo cc are one of the few councils that dont have them. Your lucky op!!!!!. Btw it says in article it takes 2 men to operate it, here in the rebel county it takes four sometimes 5:D:D

no no. it still only takes 2 to operate, the rest are merely supervising

garfieldsghost

Short of resurfacing the entire road, the best way to fill a pothole and ensure it doesn't open up again is the method used by the Germans: cut around the hole with a grinder until it's square-shaped and then fill it. It may take a little longer to do but once it's filled, that's it... no having to return with a repair crew every time it rains, etc.

101sean

Just replied to same subject on Infrastructure forum, as said only buys a bit of time, S Tipp have a truck mounted one. I looked at one for the authority I worked for in about 1989 when they first came out.

corktina

the best way to deal with potholes is to build the f in road right the first time...have you seen the mess they call the N72 west of mallow? Built a couple of years ago and rough and uneven from the word go, and now a mess of potholes about every 15 feet at each join....(join? I hear you say! yes it has a joint at the end of each days work surfacing it....

The same N72 with I assume the same amount of funding per km runs in to Co Waterford and the road there is like a billiard table in comparison...

Sponge Bob

Galway used to use one on L Roads around my area and seem to have abandoned it last year after which the L roads degenerated into tatters It is not really for main roads unless potholes are tiny.

It certainly bought time and stopped minor potholes developing into real potholes which is what we now have.

Victor

Typically the problem is that not all of the hole is visible and only the visible bits are dealt with. What is needed is proper compaction of the road base (being careful of any pipes or other services). You can't achieve that with hand tools. The truck looks like a step in the right direction in using asphalt instead of tarmac, but it doesn't seem to use compaction.

Certainly in Dublin, every bus stop has a pot hole due to the force and weight of the bus always stopping at one point. One of my local stops gets a patch every 6 months, another had much of the street re-built about 3-4 years ago, both still have potholes the last one was completely resurfaced a few months ago and hopefully will last a while.

baalthor

They have a "pothole machine" up here in Cavan but it's much bigger (and uglier) than the one in the picture.

It's hard to describe what it looks like but think "big dirty machine with lots of parts thing" that has to be transported on a truck. Is this what they have in the other counties?

Anyway, it did a reasonable repairing some large potholes near me ...

wild handlin

aquascrotum wrote: »

Roads Service in NI have a few of these yokes and they're cack, unfortunately.

They buy you time, and not much at that.

Couldn't agree more. They are fine for minor roads (L) roads and some lightly used R roads, but certainly not main N routes.

antoinolachtnai

Victor wrote: »

Certainly in Dublin, every bus stop has a pot hole due to the force and weight of the bus always stopping at one point. One of my local stops gets a patch every 6 months, another had much of the street re-built about 3-4 years ago, both still have potholes the last one was completely resurfaced a few months ago and hopefully will last a while.

If the original road spec were higher (deeper bed, whatever) would this still happen as frequently?

Cookie_Monster

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

If the original road spec were higher (deeper bed, whatever) would this still happen as frequently?

I'd imagine not. A more solid bed less likely to collapse or shift will limit movement and allow less water to seep down causing damage.

Kered75

Report potholes here http://www.potholes.ie/
Nice to see Noel Dempseys county currently tops the list