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Jetpatcher® - a
revolutionary pothole repair system - is proving its worth as repairs deemed
temporary continue to out perform all expectations in South Wales.
Reappearing potholes had been an
ongoing problem on Newport's Pillmawr Road for many years and previous
conventional repairs had only been a temporary solution to the problem.
Newport County Borough Council (NCBC) was keen to find a more permanent solution
to the problem which would not only save time, but also money too.
Enter Jetpatcher®. Jetpatcher® is a process contained within a machine than
enables potholes and other road surface blemishes to be put right inexpensively
and virtually on the run. The repairs are classed as temporary but trials not
just in Newport but throughout the UK have shown them to last a long time.
"NCBC has a large problem with potholes on rural roads and we had trialled
Jetpatcher® at several other problem sites around Newport where we have been
impressed with the results," says NCBC Highways Inspector Bob Critchley. "The
continually appearing defects at Pillmawr Road seemed the perfect opportunity to
put Jetpatcher® to the ultimate test."
The Jetpatcher® system is based on a self contained truck whose main
distinguishing feature is a long hose that delivers both compressed air and
aggregate mixed with bitumen binder.
The Jetpatcher® company has worked closely with bitumen specialist Nynas to
develop high performance binders to increase the service life of repairs.
When making a repair, the air is first used to jet out the debris and moisture.
Then bitumen emulsion is introduced into the air stream and forced into any
cracks or fissures, sealing the defect. Finally, the prepared cavity is filled
with a mixture of aggregate and emulsion which hardens almost immediately.
The aggregate gets mixed about 0.1 of a second before hitting the ground, with
each aggregate particle being evenly covered by emulsion as it passes through
the spray nozzle. The new material is applied and compacted by the force of air,
layer by layer as it should be - from the bottom up not the top down.
A Jetpatcher® unit, recently purchased by NCBC, was put into action on Pillmawr
Road by MCBC's Direct Labour Organisation (DLO) in August last year and quickly
returned the carriageway to servicable condition. Nynas' JP100 bitumen emulsion
was used in the mix at Pillmawr Road mainly because of its stability and
consistent quality but its rapid hardening is also an added advantage.
"Jetpatcher® has proved to be a very cost efficient solution at all the trial
sites," says Critchley.
"We have carried out visual inspections of the repairs to Pillmawr Road on a
regular basis since the work was carried out and they have continued to perform
well." Speed of operation of the Jetpatcher® machine means that work levels
several times that of conventional repairs can be achieved. "There is only a two
man crew," says Jetpatcher's general manager Richard Jackson, "one guy driving
the truck, the other at the sharp end, operating the nozzle. It adds up to a
highly efficient and economic alternative to traditional methods."
The majority of pothole and road surface defects in Newport are now repaired by
Jetpatcher®, which presents a considerable cost saving over conventional repair
techniques.
For more information see 'Surveyor Magazine, 9 November 2000'. |
