Winter Pothole Treatments for Local Roads
Start Date: 9/21/20
End Date: 5/21/22
Researcher: Munir Nazzal
Project Completed
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Abstract: One of the most common forms of pavement deterioration is potholes. Potholes generally form during the winter months due to freeze-thaw cycles. Common practices among local agencies to repair potholes include the following: throw-and-go (consisting of cleaning out the hole, shoveling material into the hole and relying on traffic for compaction) and throw-and-roll (consisting of cleaning out the hole, shoveling material into the hole and then running over the patch with the maintenance truck to compact the mix into the hole). In more urbanized areas that have larger budgets available for maintenance activities, some local agencies may have additional options for repairing potholes. In comparison to the methods listed above, these methods require additional equipment, materials, time and labor to perform. Regardless of the method used, patches can fail requiring roadcrews to repair the same location, sometimes multiple times. This can become costly for local public agencies in terms of both materials and availability of road crews. The failure could be due to utilizing an ineffective process for the site, inferior materials or improper execution. As new materials and methods become available, the opportunity to identify better solutions for the treatment of potholes increases. Due to difference in resources, budgets and access to materials by local public agencies, a variety of treatment options that are realistic, cost-effective and durable is needed.
The goal of this research is to provide local transportation officials with various cost-effective pothole treatment options that extend the service life of the repair during the winter season. The results of this research will provide guidance on proper procedures, materials, and quality control measures that should be used to ensure the optimal usage of different pothole patching methods. Enhancing the longevity of pothole patches can lead to significant savings in costs for repair materials and labor and may reduce delays experienced by travelers and improved safety for maintenance crews.