Potholes, like cold, snow and ice, come with winter. They are most prolific later in the season as freeze-thaw cycles are the primary cause of pothole formation. Potholes generate the most complaints to transportation agencies about road conditions; they aggravate drivers, cause costly damage to vehicles, impede the flow of traffic, cause accidents due to loss of control or sudden swerving to avoid them, present hazards to pedestrians and those on bicycles and motorcycles, and lead to further deterioration of the roadway. Timely and reliable patching of potholes is vital to restoring safety, mobility and capacity to our streets, roads and highways. Yet many agencies lack the information, training and resources to effectively and efficiently repair these proliferating problems. Aside from traditional methods of throw-and-roll with cold patch and cut-and-fill with hot patch, there are new products and methods that are becoming more cost-efficient. Furthermore, agencies need to focus more on identifying “precursors”, those pavement defects that will eventually lead to potholes if not corrected. Most agencies do not have adequate funding for all necessary preventive measures that would mitigate pothole formation. This session will examine pothole formation, review the various temporary and permanent repair methods, describe the different pavement defects that contribute to potholes, and establishing a year-round pothole “find-and-fix” program.

Proficiency Level

Applied

Learning Objectives
  1. Determine what would be the best methods and materials for patching under varying conditions.
  2. Explain how and why potholes form.
  3. Develop a year-round program of pothole repairs and preventive measures.

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