Ever wonder why a pothole appears at a particular spot?
It may be that the existing surface is poorly laid there
It may be that excess water lodges there for too long
It may be where high volumes of traffic change direction at that spot
It may be that previous repair at that spot was poorly completed
It may be that work carried out by utility companies such as the ESB or Telecoms have not been reinstated properly
Causes of potholes
Potholes form when water seeps through tiny pores on the road surface into the asphalt or tar pavement. During rainy weather when the top layer of the pavement is soaked in water as a result of prolonged rainfall, the composition of the top layer is weakened and clusters of aggregates may be loosened and subsequently removed by traffic running over it. Potholes are therefore more evident during or after wet conditions. Recent very cold weather has also contributed to the appearance of several potholes. When water seeps into the surface and freezes, the water when frozen expands by up 9% and this continued for a prolonged period - freeze-thaw action. Freezing and thawing water / ice further undermines the road surface and contributes to the development of these 'new' potholes. One does not need to be an engineer to understand how this process works!
How to Repair Potholes Properly
The following steps will ensure that a pothole is repaired properly. I have seen this work being done and I can say that it works!
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| Cut edges of pothole straight with power-saw |
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| Remove cut road surface completely |
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| Remove all loose aggregates (loose materials) |
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| Apply some form of tack coating |
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| Pour a fresh mix of tar / asphalt |
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| Compact the area |
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| Finished product |
All we need now is for the Councils to deliberate on this option, meanwhile road users suffer!
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