ok, i understand why the councils have to do a temporary plug in pot holes, which almost always come right back out again, but here's an idea, and i can see 1 reason why it may not work, but i think its got benefits...

Concrete. why not pour concrete in the holes, perhaps with a bit of steel mesh in to reinforce it a little, might need a steel cover over it for a day or 2 while it cures, but i think it might last better than tarmac. cheaper too i'd imagine, and would be a 2 minute job to fill. small concrete lorry goes about, pours in, and another drops a steel plate and some road signs on.

how does that sound? should make things better while they get round to properly fixing the problems

Rest of the road crumbles next to it, leaving a mushroom of concrete?

Whats the expansion rate of concrete compared to tarmac? May damage the road around it.

How do you make the tarmac grippy enough compared to tarmac?

How do you rip it up when doing a resurface? currently the machines they have rip up the 'temporary' repairs with no extra bother.

If they spent more time maintaining the roads throughout the year we would not have somany pot holes to start with why wait for a hole to appear put the tar in the cracks before thay turn into a hole.
My company do the same WAIT for the hole to get so big and deep someone gets damage to there car then they do something about it not very cost affective

Suspect some accountant has costed it out and it is actually more cost effective to do what they do.

(or they've so little cash / so many demands that they just hope they don't lose out by doing this).

There is a right way to fix a pothole, a cheap way and a fast way.

Unfortunately they bear little relationship to each other.

Guiness's reply reminds me of the old engineering adage "Quick, Cheap, Right - pick any 2"
Regards
Hugh

Also, I most certainly don't want steel reinforcing to be used to bodge a hole in the road!!! Given the quality of roads around here, the last thing I want is for the concrete to crack and get a nice steel rod sticking out of the road!

never thought of expansion rates. but then i'm no road layer lol.
i didn't mean using steel roads, just like a mesh, like chicken wire, that sort of thing.
i was just thinking the time to mix up some concrete, and pour it in a road is going to be quicker than tarmac, thought it would grip into the existing hole better, was just an idea thats all

http://www.jetpatcher.uk.com/







They use it here in Fife to do the whole road.....frost came and now we have speed humps

[Edited on 21-2-11 by mangogrooveworkshop]