a. Jetpatcher as a solution to cracked or crazed
roads prior to dressing.
Surface dressing will repair cracked and crazed roads, indeed the combination of
introducing binder into the surface too seal it and the chippings for skid
resistance has retarded this type of problem since surface dressing (S/D) began.
S/D applies the same amount of binder over the whole road surface. This leaves
inadequate binder leading to chip loss on a cracked road. The Jetpatcher process
can fill the cracks with bitumen and then the area is filled with aggregate and
more bitumen to seal the surface. Subsequently surface dressing may or may not
be necessary. This of course is a temporary solution just to hold the road
together for 2 to 5 years. The ideal solution to cracked and crazed road is
always to remove and replace with traditional repair. Most engineers will say
replacement is the best solution however not many will admit that they, because
traditional patching is such a slow process, will surface dress roads that have
not been patched.
b. Can Jetpatcher help with patching after the
application of surface dressing?
In many counties traditional patching is not carried out at all on some roads,
because of the slow performance achieved, with traditional patching and
therefore many roads are dressed without pre-patching having been carried out.
Using Jetpatcher after S/D, with the same type of chipping can also solve this
problem of depressions that cannot easily be seen on a newly surface dressed
road causing a potential safety issue.
c. Edge and haunch repairs, where water seepage
causes damage, additional damage will occur and blow out the newly laid surface
dressing in the autumn.
The Jetpatcher Process is ideal for haunch repairs as a 300mm depth of repair
can be carried out. As compaction occurs layer by layer from the bottom up not
the top down, therefore compaction is more consistent and effective throughout
the repair, than using a roller. Water seepage is likely to damage all types of
repair and only adequate drainage is likely to prevent this. A Jetpatcher repair
being porous will allow water through it where it can soak away though the
verge. Jetpatcher will safely and with minimum disruption to the travelling
public, repair haunches without widening the existing road. It will also allow
water through it and is designed to do so. Traditional haunch repair almost
always involved not only widening but the removal of significant amount of
material to be taken to tip.
d.
Does the Jetpatching system contain a fairly large amount of bitumen and can
this creates soft areas?.
A lot of laboratory testing from our binder suppliers has over the last few
years has determined the optimum amount of binder required for a particular
aggregate type. Therefore soft spots will not occur.
e.
Will excess binder bleed through the new surface dressing overlay?
Because our binder is not fluxed (unlike traditional patching materials which
can be contain cut back agents) bleeding will not occur. Jetpatcher repairs can
be completed 2 weeks prior to the application of surface dressing. Like ‘Thin
Surfacing’ Jetpatcher is predominately aggregate that is tightly packed and
fatting up does not occur.
f.
Will embedment into the Jetpatcher repair create a depression, causing a
potential safety issue?
Traditional patching can take several months to harden and the only way to
artificially resolve this is to dust with cement to prevent bleeding. This of
course can create a hard spot where no embedment will occur and the chipping
will strip, causing an accident black spot. Embedment is very likely to happen
when patching is carried out close to the start of the surface dressing
programme causing a potential accident black spot.
If there is also a depression or pot hole Jetpatcher is the ideal solution.
g.
Who has used Jetpatcher for pre-patching prior to surface dressing?
Atkins in Somerset, Road Services Direct in Northern Ireland, West Sussex and
May Gurney Essex have carried out a large proportion of their pre-surface
dressing patching using Jetpatching. We can provide names of contact details of
both contractor and clients that have five years experience with this.
Jetpatcher has been used (by West Sussex) on Surface Dressed sites immediately
after to repair defects which S/D has missed or failed i.e. stripped areas,
depressions, Cats eye holes. Using the same aggregate as S/D the repairs are
invisible. |
