The world's falling apart!

[HeyWayne]

Well, the roads are anyway.

Potholes that verge on cavernous. Stone chippings all over the place. Patches of bare hardcore.

The odd thing is, I read about some new technology that uses chip fat instead of bitumen.

Used chip fat instead of bitumen > Sustainable Building > Sustainable Building News and features

Would we not be better making something that can handle our climate?

Someone call up Moscow and as them what they use to cover the roads.

What's it like where you are?

[piskieinboots]

The tiny roads around the camp are in a pickle, many potholes appearing

[zazen999]

It might be better on lower temps; but it would probably melt like mad on a hot day.

The problem with this country [road-wise] is our extremes; we get really hot and really cold. If it was one or t'other it would be easier to design them appropriately.

the problem is the water freezes, expands and makes a crack, then melts, drops down, freezes, expands, makes the crack bigger.....ad infinitum.

Now, don't get me started on roads!!!

[OllieMartin]

If they went with the chip fat idea, they'd then have to shoot Jaime Oliver and re-introduce chips into our schools to produce enough of it.


Hmmmm, tempting.

[mrdinkle]

It is terrible, the road to Neath from here is full of gert big potholes. Does make you wonder what they do elsewhere - esp as they use wheel chains etc in Russia.

[RedThorn]

My road has always been bad, in 5 years I 've lived here! irrelevant of the weather!

[zazen999]

It is terrible, the road to Neath from here is full of gert big potholes. Does make you wonder what they do elsewhere - esp as they use wheel chains etc in Russia.

They will use a different mix of bitumen/bulking agent/gravel which doesn't have to be stable at high temps as they don't get hot weather like what we do in the summer.

[lainey lou]

My sister lives in the French Alps and this happens every year.

[RedThorn]

Brilliant Idea though, hope the trial is successful. So between bio-diesel and chip fat roads, salted in winter...just bring your own vinegar

[OllieMartin]

You'd think in a world of carbon nanotubes, silicone polymers and non-newtonian fluids; that they'd have discovered a material that would stay solid in hot weather and accomodate the expansion of freezing water in cold weather.

[TEB]

It might be better on lower temps; but it would probably melt like mad on a hot day.

The problem with this country [road-wise] is our extremes; we get really hot and really cold. If it was one or t'other it would be easier to design them appropriately.

the problem is the water freezes, expands and makes a crack, then melts, drops down, freezes, expands, makes the crack bigger.....ad infinitum.

Now, don't get me started on roads!!!

I would have said its the exact opposite, the fact that (the majority) of the UK is a temeperate climate, rarely going below minus 10 or above +35c, may mean that the councils and the goverment are loathe to commit resources for something that may happen every few decades. Of course it doesn't help when you have the Met Office in October and again in November stating that the UK will experience a mild winter, i.e. with temperatures around +3.8 C. Cynic that I am, it wouldn't be a case of deliberately not gritting so that managers responsible for roads getting a bit extra bunce from competing road repair companies

[zazen999]

I would have said its the exact opposite, the fact that (the majority) of the UK is a temeperate climate, rarely going below minus 10 or above +35c, may mean that the councils and the goverment are loathe to commit resources for something that may happen every few decades. Of course it doesn't help when you have the Met Office in October and again in November stating that the UK will experience a mild winter, i.e. with temperatures around +3.8 C. Cynic that I am, it wouldn't be a case of deliberately not gritting so that managers responsible for roads getting a bit extra bunce from competing road repair companies

It's not the opposite - it's the same!

They design for temperate conditions, but we experience freak temperature variations which cause the problems. I can't say what happens in any other countries; we use the Specification for Highway Works for the roads in the UK.

It's a dry read, can be downloaded if anyone is experiencing major insomnia.

[TEB]

It's not the opposite - it's the same!

They design for temperate conditions, but we experience freak temperature variations which cause the problems.

Rarely do we experience freak temperature variations - is this enough to justify spending resources on it.

[zazen999]

Rarely do we experience freak temperature variations - is this enough to justify spending resources on it.

That's my point - when we do have freak temperatures things happen and we forget that 99% of the time, the roads have been ok [ish]. They* are only ever going to spend money on roads that are designed to 'normal' conditions.

The potholes will be filled like every year, in March when they* are trying to spend the year end budget.

*They being the councils.....

[HeyWayne]

The potholes will be filled like every year, in March when they* are trying to spend the year end budget.

*They being the councils.....

Not round here they won't - that's why I raised it. These ones have been here since the last "big freeze" (I know because I drove Bean home from the hospital when he was borned amidst the snow/ice this time last year), they've just been made worser. Much worser.

Glad you put the [ish] bit in.