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From time to time, JAG(UK) will publish articles by third parties from the industry. The views expressed herein are not necessarily representative of or endorsed by JAG(UK).
By Dickie Aston-Wright
Utility companies and contractors are one of the most significant contributors to economic growth in the UK, investing billions of pounds each year to ensure essential utility services that underpin our economy and connect local businesses. Population growth is expected to reach 73 million people by 2035 and 43% increase in road traffic by 2040, investment alone will not be enough to keep our road infrastructure fit for purpose.
While this clearly requires investment across our highways networks, we also need to invest in innovations. This enables a smarter, sustainable approach to street and road works and ultimately to a reduction in traffic, waste to landfill, road closures and other general efficiencies. The Roadmender allows first-time permanent, high quality repairs and other general efficiencies designed to keep Britain moving and boost customer satisfaction.
One such technology we have spent the past two years researching is a mobile volumetric process called Roadmender Asphalt. This enables reinstatement teams to make their own Hot-Mix Asphalt directly at the job site, in just the quantity they need, at the correct temperature every time, with no waste and without the need to visit an asphalt plant. The Roadmender allows first-time permanent, high quality repairs with polymer modified materials offering flexibility to gangs to carry multiple different mix designs on board to suit their needs.
This technology is a true game changer in every sense of the word. It ticks all the boxes in the NJUG Vision for street works and the HAUC Code of Conduct, delivers massive cost savings and efficiencies, and has the potential to revolutionise small volume utility and highways authorities’ pothole reinstatement. This will transform how we work in the industry; the system allows much more flexible working at weekends and out of hours as material is always available without dependency on the quarries. Significantly reducing our carbon footprint, waste, use of virgin materials, time and money, Roadmender allows us to reinstate more openings at convenient times, to reduce disruption and keep traffic moving. While small utility openings, emergency repairs and ironworks are ideally suited to the arrival of Volumetric Hot-Mix Asphalt, the quality and efficiency benefits the technology has to offer may also have a key role to play in pothole patching and local maintenance works, enabling small two-person patching gangs to carry out larger numbers of permanent repairs in a working day, while also avoiding any need for temporary repairs, thus reducing further disruption.
For more information on Volumetric Hot-Mix Asphalt
http://www.roadmenderasphalt.com/
Dickie Aston-Wright works for The Clancy Group as the Group Streetworks Manager. He has worked in the industry for 37 years for both highways authorities and Contracting companies and is the current chair of NJUG EPG for Innovations. For more information, visit - http://www.clancyplant.co.uk/