Blogs Highways Highlight

Last year we completed a 28-day trial programme of an innovative new material designed for fast, permanent and cost-effective repairs to shallow defects in roads and footpaths including some potholes, cracks and surrounds to manhole covers and gully grates.

Roadmender Mastic Rubber is a specialist rubber-modified sticky mixture made, in part, from recycled rubber tyres such as end-of-life HGV tyres. The mixture can be heated and mixed on site – on the back of the vehicle – and can be poured directly onto the defective road surface. Once poured onto the defect, the mixture spreads beyond the edges, adhering to the surface and creating a waterproof seal within cracks and voids. The process does not require noisy machinery or cutting into the highway, minimising the risk of damaging water, gas or broadband services under the road or pathway.

During the trial, our crews visited close to 100 locations across the county making repairs using this innovative material. As the technique is quicker than traditional patching, our crews were often able to take advantage of the road closure to repaint the lines on the road as well such as on High Street, Prestwood.

Buckinghamshire’s trial has seen 134 defects repaired, covering 1,268m2 of carriageway (approximately the size of 3 professional basketball courts!) and making a carbon saving of 48 tons over more traditional patching (the equivalent of 26 fewer cars on the roads for a year*).

Around 24 tons of the materials (incorporating 216 old and unusable tyres) were used and the trial locations were regularly inspected to assess how the material is performing and what type of sites are best suited for this technique. Whilst this treatment is not suitable for all types of roads or defects, it’s another great tool in our toolbox to provide the best repair solution for Buckinghamshire’s roads.

As well as a reduced environmental impact, the use of this material causes less impact on the highways workforce’s exposure to noise, vibration and dust from cutting activity.

Benefits of the mastic technique include:

• reduced delays for road users as mastic is quick to apply and also dries very quickly
• be more environmentally friendly than traditional road repairs
• make quicker permanent fixes in one visit
• and most important of all, provide durable and cost-effective repairs.

*The following figures are based on a vehicle driving 7,600 miles in a year, the UK average: Petrol cars - 1749kg (1.7 imperial ton) Diesel cars - 2006kg (1.9 imperial ton)

What are the CO2 emissions of my car? | Age Co