OK. True confessions. I hate slowpokes on the road. You want to drive below the speed limit- stay right- all the way to the right. Better yet- if you feel that driving 50 is nifty, stay off the interstates. Second verse. Why does it take 13 folks standing around watching one guy fix a pothole?
Given those predilections, let’s get to the matter at hand. With great fanfare, the Georgia Tech Research institute has announced a new invention. One they feel will revolutionize highway repair. I’m not so sure. You help me judge….
First, some facts. Every minute of every day, we have 650 new potholes appearing on our roads- meaning we need to repair (assuming all the other ones are already fixed- HA!) about 350 million potholes this year, at a cost of about $ 51 billion. As if they were not enough of a problem, we have about 88 billion cracks in our roads, which will cost about $ 28 billion to repair- annually.
Now, our roads are paved (generally) with asphalt over some base layer(s). With the heat of the day in the summer and the stress of traffic (both cars and trucks, all seasons of the year), cracks form in the layers of asphalt that form the road surface. These cracks afford snow and rain the ability to seep into the subsurface (gravel, dirt, bricks). In the winter, the water in this layer freezes and pushes out a clump of asphalt-in other words, form a pothole. In the summer, a heavy truck, a car bouncing on the road, or other “assault”, stresses this weakened portion of the asphalt and “divots” a piece of the asphalt.
So, you can see, if we fill the cracks- properly and quickly- we may be able to preclude those 650 potholes forming each day. That can save us a lot of money- not the whole $ 51 billion, I’m sure, since some potholes will still form, but even half is a lot of money. To put this value in proper perspective, consider that the 2012 federal (not state or local) budget to fix roads is $ 71 billion.
Enter this new invention. As you can see above, this device is a trailer, with sensors, generators, a reservoir of sealant, and applicators akin to ink jet printers (or 3D printers) that apply the sealant to the road. The sensing devices have been shown to be capable of identifying 83% of the cracks that exceed 3 mm in width; and the sealant is applied all while the trailer is being pulled at 5 mph. (An early report on this unit- before the final prototype was deployed- can be found here.)
Assuming this system works well (according to the inventors, it does), I can see its use on local roads. Where a truck moving at 5 mph will be an impediment to traffic, but not devastating. Running such a device on primary roads where the speed limit is 55 mph or on interstates where the speed limit is 65 mph or higher would back up traffic for miles- if not lead to catastrophic accidents- unless one considers employing this device during rush hour, when the traffic barely moves at 5 mph. (It is why interstate highways have a minimum speed limit of 40 mph.)
Another issue is the drying time for the applied patches. Assuming this device is some 15 feet in length (based upon measurements I made from the photographs), that means the time from application to trailer clearance for the cracks is less than 2 seconds. Assuming trailing vehicles are, indeed keeping the proper distance behind the trailer, the total sealing time available is still less than 5 seconds. Which means that the following vehicles may disturb the sealant before it hardens- or, worse yet (at least for that vehicle), it will have potential damage from the road repair.
So, what do you think about this new invention?
I have relocated to a new state that has MANY more potholes on it’s roads than I am used to. The added wear and tear on our vehicles and additional need of service for proper matience of those cars will add up I already know this. I’d say…Buy and Try that new invention. There needs to be a better solution to the circles we are tracking in attempts to keep up with road safety and traffic issues. It should also seem that if there is a “new method” out there that will also reduce our carbon footprint, we need to TRY it out and adopt it quickly if it helps in any degree.
Now, Veronica, why would you think your new home state would buy this device (which costs money) to fix the roads, when it already has decided that road repair is not an issue? (By the way, your state has been famous for this situation since I was starting college… And, that, in case you don’t know, was a very, very, very long time ago…)
I honestly don’t think it sounds practical as it stands now, but vastly more so than 15 guys blocking off 3 miles or more at a stretch so that we have one lane to travel on. Come to think of it, there are probably some areas where it is practical. Ohio, in most of the highways even at our worst isn’t anything like DC or Detroit traffic. So, I’d say pick some of the less busy highways to test it on, and then factor in the variables involved with places like Atlanta, DC, Boston, Detroit, and so on to see it would be useful in the higher density areas. If we could handle the slower highways with this, even if we needed to take a more traditional approach with the busier ones, we’d still save money and be able to better refine the invention to make it a practical and useful in the others. Just some thoughts…
Lisa Brandel recently posted..The Painted Lady by Lisa Brandel
Those are my thoughts, Lisa
But, then, reality seeps in. Most local communities have slashed their road repair budgets. Because they are afraid to raise taxes and they must provide schools. So, it won’t happen there.
Most states have slashed their budgets and have no money for road repair (as our highway tax dollars get used for something else). And, they will fix the major roads- which have more traffic and higher speeds, which does not work for this unit (IMHO)….
So, we’re back to square one.
I grew up on dirt roads. They came through and put down gravel and drove over it to compact it. It has great traction for the winters, less expensive to maintain. There are lots of great benefits to dirt roads. Course you might have problems with your paint job and brakes but hey we all have to make concessions. Seriously, I don’t know what to do about the horrible roads out there.
shawn recently posted..I Have A Jewel
Shawn:
There were plenty of dirt roads in the Ann Arbor area, when I was there. And, they were a breeze to clear off in the winters. Then, the powers that be decided that their roads should be more like those found on the east. And, paved them. Which made clearing them off (with impunity) in the winters far more problematic, far more expensive- and that does not include the repairs.
If the speed limit is 25 and it is not urban, it’s not clear that the roads should be paved. If the speed limit is 35 or above, then they MUST be paved.
First, I have to see one of those 3D printers working. You really have managed to intrigue me. Second: from the first paragraph I can tell that you really enjoy writing your post. Now, about your question: I can only add one more doubt to two you posted: I am assuming that this vehicle is designed to work in roads with cracks only. It does not look like capable of driving through large potholes (at least not in the ones we have here in Ecuador).
Come on over to our labs, Gustavo! Or, search for “3D” in the index of my blog. I know I have some videos of 3D printers- including one that makes candy!
Well I live in the country and I have to say that we often get stuck behind someone fixing the roads. Sometimes they fix the road only to tear it up and start all over again. It gets to be a pain in the behind. But I am not sure that using this device would do any good either. I mean I think I would rather see someone walking along with a hose from a canister on the back of a truck and filling in the cracks themselves. Everything makes mistakes and that includes all the fancy machines. Can you imagine that cost to fix all the thing if it gets too jostled around. Okay getting off my soap box. No I do not think this device is the answer to the road problems.
Gen recently posted..How Does Your Market Communicate
Gen, I never really lived in the “country”. But, I lived in some pretty small cities. And, even there, with the costs lower that in the “big cities”, this device could still be cheaper.
The standard practice when fixing cracks is to have two guys blocking traffic, one guy in the vehicle that carries the “goodies”, and at least one guy spreading the macadam repair.
This unit is designed for no more than two persons. And, no shutting down traffic (just big lights to make you aware, it’s driving slowly). Assuming they were to use this on a highway, I would venture to say, it would be followed by a big truck (probably carrying more sealant) with flashing lights, saying “Slow Vehicle Ahead”. (And, on highways, the DOT always has five or more folks to help with traffic avoidance, road repair, and associated tasks.)
Georgia Tech claims this is cheaper than the salary for one road worker.
Roy
Its nice to see this page, I love reading the article you post in here, that talks about step on crack..
Fatima Hipolito recently posted..סכיני מטבח
Thanks, Fatima…
We do need to fix these road blights- fast… before we have to simply rebuild them from scratch because we let them fester so long.
That’s right sir before its going to an major problem..
Fatima Hipolito recently posted..לימודי אילוף כלבים
I just wish our Congressman would act upon it, Fatima.
That’s right sir they must do something as soon as possible…
Fatima Hipolito recently posted..לייטמן
Our infrastructure needs are critical, Fatima.
Thanks for adding to the discussion.
It certainly seems like that invention is a good idea. Potholes are a nuisance and, at high speeds, can cause damage to your car. Having a way to prevent potholes from occurring sounds great, though there will still always be more potholes to repair. Thanks for the information.
Max Paving, Liberty MO
Hazel:
Anything that can keep our roads in better shape is a welcome improvement. If, we spend the money to get the improvements in place.
Thanks for the visit and the comment.
I think that this is a great new invention to fix asphalt cracks. I’m glad that you mention the drying time necessary in your last paragraph. From what I understand of asphalt sealant, it takes some time to dry. Like you say, if it isn’t dry and cars drive on it, it can be damaged.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Westly! And, the reminder that we need to wait before we can fully utilize the pavement.