Understanding Roadworks and the Importance Of Maintenance
Roadways are vital to social development and the economy, being the modern-day backbone of any infrastructure system that facilitates the movement of people and vehicles safely and without hindrance. It is important to keep these commuting paths intact.
Why Road Maintenance is Necessary
Road maintenance and repairs are essential in preserving the road, protecting adjacent resources and user safety and providing convenient travel along the route.
Improper or lack of road maintenance can cause road accidents, creating a massive hazard for drivers. On the other hand, maintaining and repairing roadways brings immediate benefits through improved comfort, safety and lower vehicle operation costs.
Why Do Roads Deteriorate?
- High traffic and heavier vehicles place immense pressure on the road’s surface.
- Environmental and climatic influences – from the weather to the shifting of the earth’s tectonic plates, the impact of the earth’s movement, temperature fluctuations, and oxidation, causing cracks and sinkholes.
- Drainage insufficiencies in the presence of cracks, water which cannot drain away seeps in and weakens the base layer, which causes depressions.
Asphalt Damage and Types of Pavement Deterioration
- Potholes are by far the most common dangerous road hazard. They can occur on any road surface, and hitting them can cause a blown tire or loss of control of the vehicle.
- Cracks, occurring more frequently than potholes, are a result of water damage or improper subsurface installation. This comes in the form of fatigue cracks, reflection cracks (mirror images of underlying cracks that have been covered up by more asphalt), block cracks (random linear cracks), root cracks, and linear cracks.
- Blowouts are massive potholes which extend lengthwise but are more like shallow sinkholes.
- Sinkholes are the result of a complete erosion of the subsurface.
- Rutting appears as depressions in the shape and direction of commonly driven areas.
- Ravelling occurs when the gravel in the asphalt loosens and spreads.
- Shoving appears on the surface of asphalt as bumps or raised areas.
- Upheaval appears as a raised and broken-up area of asphalt.
- Peeling occurs when the surface layer of the asphalt dries out.
Whether you need a roadwork company in the Durham area for road maintenance or a new road, you can trust Central Park Paving and Construction LTD . With decades of experience, our family-owned company invests in the best paving equipment to ensure the best possible paving results.
Call us today for your competitive estimate. Our team is standing by to help!