They are the bane of every driver’s life and, it seems, can’t be stopped. Whether a few centimetres in depth or diameter or large enough to stand in, potholes cause a significant amount of damage to the nation’s vehicles daily. As surfacing contractors, Surex Surfacing Ltd deals with the issue of potholes regularly, witnessing just how much of a problem they can be for both pedestrians and drivers throughout the UK.
Based in Leatherhead, we provide road surfacing services to clients in Cobham and the surrounding areas. We also carry out resin surfacing, tarmacadam surfacing, and car park resurfacing in Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex and the wider southeast areas.
These holes usually start as small cracks in a road’s surface and expand as heavy traffic continues to force the cracks open. No surfacing is immune, although potholes are more frequently seen where the road has been constructed using asphalt.
They form over five stages, with the initial cracks forming due to fatigue. This can occur if the layers beneath are not strong enough to withstand the level of traffic passing over them. The weight will cause them to buckle and their movement will lead to the formation of the cracks. They can also appear where drainage is problematic, the road surfacing is too old for a heavier weight limit, thermal shrinkage has occurred, or new asphalt has been laid over existing faults. Localised road works may also affect the surrounding surface.
Once the crack has appeared, it will naturally fill with rainwater, seeping further into the sub-base layers. This will result in the softening of the soil beneath.
As the traffic above continues to pass over the crack and its damaged sublayers, the asphalt will begin to break away. Freezing temperatures will also cause the water to expand, leading to further deterioration of the surrounding surface. Remaining water will also lead to the deterioration of the pothole’s inner walls.
The UK has a major pothole problem due to the amount of underground systems in place, such as the London Underground and transport tunnels. We also have a massive number of vehicles on the roads compared to other countries.
Potholes will continue to occur on roads and pavements where repairs have taken place as these tarmacadam or asphalt patches only work like sticking plasters. The solution is to carry out complete surfacing measures, not just minor repairs. Resin surfacing and tarmacadam surfacing experts, Surex Surfacing carries out extensive car park resurfacing services to ensure our surfacing contractors’ Cobham clients and their properties will remain free from such problems going forward.
The issue can also be avoided by the regular upkeep of public and private property drainage systems.
Call our surfacing contractors today to find out more about the works we complete in Cobham, including:
