A soil hole is a structural failure on the road surface, usually asphalt pavement, due to water in the underlying soil structure and traffic passing through the affected area. The first water weakens the underlying land; traffic then tires and destroys unsupported asphalt surfaces in the affected area. Advanced traffic action issues the asphalt and underlying soil material to create a hole in the sidewalk.
Video Pothole
Cost for public
The American Automobile Association estimates in the five years before 2016 that 16 million drivers in the United States have suffered damage from holes to their vehicles including tire punctures, crooked wheels, and damaged suspensions at a cost of $ 3 billion annually. In India, 3,000 people per year are killed in accidents involving holes. Britain estimates that the cost of repairing all roads with holes in the country would cost à £ 12 billion.
Maps Pothole
Formation
According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the formation of a hole requires two factors to be present at the same time: water and traffic. Water weakens the ground beneath the sidewalk while traffic implements a load that punctuates the sidewalk past the peak. Holes are formed progressively due to road surface fatigue which can lead to a pattern of failure of precursors known as crocodiles (or crocodiles) cracks. Finally, the sidewalk pieces between the fatigue cracks gradually work loose, and then can be picked or forced out of the surface with a continuous wheel load to create a hole.
In areas affected by freezing and thawing, frost may damage the sidewalk and create openings for water to enter. In the spring, the sidewalk liquefaction accelerates this process when the liquefaction of the top of the soil structure on the sidewalk can not flow through the still frozen bottom layer, thus saturating the supporting ground and weakening it.
The pothole may grow to several feet wide, though it usually only develops to a depth of several inches. If they become large enough, tire damage, wheels, and vehicle suspension may occur. Serious road accidents can occur as a direct result, especially on roads where vehicle speed is greater.
Holes can be caused by four main causes:
- 1. The pavement thickness is not sufficient to support traffic during the frozen/liquid period without localized failures
- 2. Insufficient drainage
- 3. Failure in trenches and utility castings (manhole cuttings and gutters)
- 4. Damage and cracks in the pavement remain unkempt and unsealed so as to absorb moisture and compromise the structural integrity of the pavement
Prevention
Eaton, et al. citing the following steps to avoid the formation of holes in existing sidewalks:
- 1. The sidewalk survey for risk factors
- 2. Provide adequate drainage structure
- 3. Preventive maintenance
- 4. Cutting utility management
The sidewalk survey
Pavement risks more often local roads with lower structural standards and more complicated factors, such as underground utilities, than the main arteries. Monitoring of pavement conditions can lead to timely precautions. Surveys overcome pavement pressure, both of which reduce the strength of the asphalt layer and recognize water into the pavement, and effective drainage of water from within and around the pavement structure.
Drainage
Drainage structures, including gullies and gullies are essential for moving water from the sidewalk. Avoid other risk factors with good construction including well drainage wells and sub-base soils that avoid frozen actions and encourage draining of soil structures. An adequate crown pushes the drainage aside. Good crack control prevents water penetration into the pavement soil structure.
Preventive maintenance
Preventive treatment adds maintaining structural integrity of pavements with thickness and continuity to the mixture preventing water penetration and encouraging water migration away from the road.
Utility-cutting management
Eaton, et al., Advocate the licensing process for utility cuts with specifications that avoid the loss of structural continuity of the sidewalk and the defects or failures that permit the penetration of water.
Repair
The pothole fill method may be temporary or semi-permanent. Temporary fillings are provided for unfavorable weather conditions for more permanent solutions and typically use a mixture of cold asphalt mixtures that are placed in a prudent way to restore the pavement relief temporarily. Semi-permanent fillings use more caution in reconstructing perimeter areas that fail to coalesce with the surrounding pavement and usually use hot asphalt mixtures over appropriate replacement materials.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) offers an overview of best practices that include several remedial techniques; throw-and-release, semi-permanent, spray spray, and edge covering. The FHWA shows the best patch techniques, at times other than winter, are spray injection, throw-and-roll, semi-permanent, or edge seal procedures. In winter, throw-and-roll techniques may be the only option available. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa offers a similar method for fixing the pit.
Materials
Asphaltic patch materials consist of binders and aggregates that come in two broad categories, hot mixes and cold mixtures. The hot mix is ââused by some agencies, they are produced in the local asphalt factory. The FHWA manual cites three types of cold mixtures, produced by local asphalt mills, either 1) using available aggregates and binders or 2) according to the specifications set by the agency that will use the mixture. The third type is an exclusive cold mix, which is manufactured according to advertised standards.
Throw-and-play improvements
The FHWA manual cites the throw-and-roll method as the most basic method, best used as a temporary improvement in conditions when it is difficult to control material placement, such as winter time. Consists of:
- 1. Place hot or cold patch material into hole holes
- 2. Compact the fillings with vehicles, such as trucks
- 3. Reach the crown on a compacted patch between 3 and 6 mm
This method is widely used because of its simplicity and speed, especially as a wise method when the material is placed under unfavorable water conditions or temperatures. It can also be used in times when the holes are dry and clean with longer lasting results. Eaton, et al., Noting that the failure rate of repair of high repairs and costs can be fivefold from the cost of correct repairs performed correctly. They recommend this type of improvement only when weather conditions prevent proper techniques.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota, Duluth have tested the asphalt mixture with iron ore containing magnetite which is then heated using a ferromagnetic resonance (using microwaves at a certain frequency) to heat the asphalt mixture. The mixture uses a compound between 1% and 2% magnetite. The group found that the material could be heated for patches up to 100Ã,à ° C (about 212Ã, à ° F) in less time. ten minutes which then implements more effective repairs and expels moisture that increases adhesion.
Semi-permanent repair
The FHWA manual cites semi-permanent repair methods as one of the best to repair potholes, short of complete replacement of roads. Consists of:
- 1. Eliminate water and dirt from perforated holes
- 2. Make a clean cut along the side of the prospective patch area to ensure that the vertical side of the repair is on a good sidewalk (Eaton, et al., recommends a bituminous coat tack in the open cavity, prior to placing the material patch.)
- 3. Place hot or cold patch mixture
- 4. Compact the patch with a device smaller than the patch area, e.g. vibrating roller or vibration plate
Although this repair procedure provides long-lasting results, it requires more labor and more intensive equipment than spray-throwing or spray-throw procedures.
Injection-injection repair
The FHWA manual cites spray injection procedures as an efficient alternative to semi-permanent repair. However, it requires special equipment. Consists of:
- 1. Blowing water and debris from the potholes
- 2. Spray the tack layer from the binder on the sides and bottom of the hole
- 3. Blow the asphalt and aggregate into the pothole
- 4. Include areas that are patched with an aggregate layer
This procedure does not require compacting after the closing aggregate has been placed
Repair edge seal
The FHWA manual cites the edge seal method as an alternative to the above technique. Consists of:
- 1. Follow the "throw-and-play" steps
- 2. After the repaired part has dried up, place the asphalt tape ribbon over the edge of the patch, overlapping the pavement and patches
- 3. Put sand on nail material to prevent tracking with vehicle tires
In this procedure, waiting for water to dry may require a second visit to place the tack layer. The nail material prevents water from passing the edge of the patch and helps tie the patch to the surrounding sidewalk.
Benefits of repair method
A FHWA-sponsored study determined that "the throw-and-roll technique proved to be as effective as the semi-permanent procedure when the two procedures were compared directly, using the same material". It also finds a throw-and-play procedure to be more cost-effective when using quality materials. It was further found that spray-injection improvements were as effective as control patches, depending on the skill of the equipment operator.
Reporting
Some jurisdictions offer websites or mobile apps for hole-reporting. This allows residents to report on holes and other road hazards, optionally including photos and GPS coordinates. There are an estimated 55 million holes in the United States. Capital self-proclaimed cemetery, Edmonton, Canada is reportedly spending $ 4.8 million on 450,000 holes annually, by 2015.
Pothole Art
Two artists, Jim Bachor of Chicago and Baadal Nanjundaswamy from Bangalore, India, have used the artwork as a comment about the pit by placing mosaics (describing ice cream in various manifestations) or sculptures (in crocodile form) in a hole. Elsewhere, activists in Russia use caricatures painted by local officials with their mouths as holes, to show their anger about bad road conditions. and in Manchester, England a graffiti artist painted obscene images around the hole, which often resulted in them being repaired within 48 hours.
See also
- Asphalt concrete
- Road surface
References
External links
- Federal Highway Administration Practice Guide for Pothole Repair
Source of the article : Wikipedia