HIGHWAYS SERVICES

Easy Guide to understanding Road Surface Defects

Engineering the future, to keep people

moving safely

Our roads and footpaths etc., suffer a tremendous amount of wear and tear caused by a heavy volume of traffic, diverse weather conditions and aging roads. In time, as a result of all these factors, surfaces become damaged.

This is potentially hazardous to all members of the public and SMBC are committed to try and ensure that every effort is made to make our roads and pathways safe. Our aim is to:

• To minimise / avoid the risk to motorists and damage to their vehicles.

• To provide a safe and convenient network for cyclists.

• To prevent the public from tripping up over a raised surface and sustaining injuries to themselves.

Engineering the future, to keep people

moving safely

Road surfaces eventually crack, which lets in snow and rainwater, allowing it to seep into the road layers and underlying materials.

During cold nights, the water freezes and takes up more space under the surface which expands, bends, and cracks pushing out some of the Underlying materials.

Engineering the future, to keep people

moving safely

Precipitation

Freezing

When the ice melts, the surface contracts leaving holes & voids where the water can get in and become trapped. If the water freezes and thaws several times, the surface weakens and continues to crack.

Motorists drive over these invisible holes, which puts even more pressure on the thin asphalt layer covering them and a pothole starts to form.

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moving safely

Thawing

Pothole Formation

Types of Defects

There are a number of different types of hazards such as a pothole, uneven/cracked surfaces, broken kerbs, loose paving slabs or dips in the road, a few examples are shown alongside.

Pothole

Cracked Road Surface

Dip in the Road

Broken Kerb

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moving safely

Definition of a pothole

What is classed as a pothole? A surface area that has vertical sharp edged sides, is wide and deep enough to cause a risk to cycles, vehicles and pedestrians with a minimum horizontal dimension of 300mm (12”) and greater than 50mm (2”) in depth.

Inspections

The Code of Practice ‘Well Maintained Highways’ defines two categories of defects – Category 1 – urgent and Category 2 everything else.

The picture of a pothole opposite would be classed as a Category 1 defect requiring immediate attention.

Category 2 defect – Considered as part of a programme of works ensuring that a more efficient and better quality job is executed.

When defects are reported our inspectors examine the damage and the risk it poses to the travelling public, and assess a timescale for the repair work to be undertaken.

Emergency Repair

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moving safely

Response Times

The permissible timeframe between damage to a surface being identified and it being repaired is normally contingent on the following:

• The scale of the damage;• Network hierarchy of the asset containing the damage;• The risk the damage creates;• Likelihood of the risk being realised.

However, SMBC response times are:

• Emergency – such as a road traffic collision damage –Measures are in place to respond within 2 hours;

• Category 1 – Within 24 hours;• Category 2 – Carried out as part of a planned works programme (for greater efficiency). Typically completedwithin 16 weeks, excluding major resurfacing works whichcould take longer.

The tables shown below indicate the various response times based on the depth of the pothole and the surface it relates to:

Footway/

CarriagewayAll Road Types

Response

Category

Footway

Footway

> 25mm (greater

than)

< 25mm (less

than)

Category 1

Category 2

Carriageway

Carriageway

> 50mm (greater

than)

< 50mm (less

than)

Category 1

Category 2

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moving safely

Repair Types

Temporary / Semi-Permanent

Minimal preparation of the affected area and repairing the pothole by applying a cold bituminous material which is manually compacted.

Permanent

This includes solutions ranging from patching (for small areas) to resurfacing and reconstruction.

Engineering the future, to keep people

moving safely

For further information please contact

Website information –

http://www.solihull.gov.uk/transport

General Number - 0121 704 8000

Email: highwaysservices@solihull.gov.uk

Postal Address:

Solihull MBCCouncil HouseManor SquareSolihull B91 3QB

Engineering the future, to keep people

moving safely