10/28/2010 With the passage of time, asphalt road is subject to breakdown from normal wear and tear and inclement weather. The more it rains and snows, the more concrete and asphalt will break down. This is the main reason for potholes formation. Pavement is always under pressure and over time minor cracks become major problems. With continuous stress and water, those cracks grow and small chunks of road surface are pulled out by the vehicles tires. This becomes a pothole which will continue to grow until fixed. When this pothole gets filled with water, it leads to further degradation of the asphalt.
As per the studies, traditional pothole repair methods release enough carbon dioxide that requires 11 trees to absorb and process. With the modern eco friendly pothole repair methods, it only takes 1-2 trees to process the CO2 released by the procedure. This modern method is known as infrared repair of road asphalt. This involves the following step to be carried out:
Cleaning the Repair Area
To begin with an infrared road repair, it is necessary to clean the repairable area from dirt and rubbish. Dirt is an insulator for radiation absorption into the pavement and acts as a pollutant for the repair process.
Heating the Repair Area
The infrared unit is positioned over the asphalt pothole or the area to be repaired. Then it is heated for a few minutes or until the asphalt gets soft up to 3-5 inches deep.
Rejuvenating the Repair Area
After removing the infrared unit the treated area is raked and reshaped. Next an asphalt rejuvenator is applied to the repair area. Asphalt rejuvenator is a manufactured mixture that absorbs and penetrates the existing asphalt and restores the reactive components lost due to oxidation.
Addition of Asphalt and Leveling
Infrared repairs require some new asphalt. This new asphalt is added and leveled. A depth of less than an inch is left on pavement above the surrounding grade. This allows the repaired road to properly settle after the work is done.
Compaction of the Repaired Area
The repaired area is compacted while still hot, creating a seamless thermal bond between old asphalt and the newly repaired area. The compactor which is used for this delivers over 2,500 lbs of pressure on the newly repaired area.
Cooling and cleaning the repaired area
Finally the road is swept and cleaned to shovel away any remains left near the asphalt patch. The repaired pavement can be driven on immediately.
About The Author
Zeeshan Kaba is the Vice President of Operations of Dr. Pothole. Dr. Pothole provides high-speed, cost-effective, environmental friendly solutions to pothole problems in 20 minutes flat. He can be contacted via Zeeshan@drpothole.com and 800.298.5587. More information regarding pothole repair services can be found at http://www.drpothole.com/.
Looking for the best porthole repairs services? Dr Pothole is a porthole repair company that offers asphalt repairs, pothole repairs, asphalt pothole repairs, road pothole repairs and many other porthole services using latest technologies.Company Overview: Dr. Pothole is professional, ‘green&r…