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snow is so bad for potholes?
The freezing weather and snow causes even more potholes to appear in the UK's roads than usual. Why? It will cost thousands of pounds, but it is a job Buckinghamshire Council says is vital and urgently needs doing.
How potholes are formed
As tarmac ages, it gets more porous. Rainwater penetrates cracks caused by constant traffic use. When water freezes it expands. More cracks form and the tarmac is pushed outwards like a bubble. The ice thaws creating voids, or gaps, under the surface. These get larger with each freeze-thaw cycle. Traffic causes tarmac to collapse and form a pothole which gets larger as more traffic rolls over it.
It is sending out extra teams to repair potholes in the road because more are appearing than normal this year. It's yet more money when so much has already been spent on grit to keep roads clear, but if the repairs aren't done it could cost even more cash in the future when the holes get bigger.
Potholes are not just a problem in Buckinghamshire, local authorities across the country are having to do the same. The repeated freeze-thaw cycle of the current cold spell, its timing and its length are being blamed for making the problem worse this year.
Potholes are formed by water penetrating the asphalt surface of a road through cracks caused by traffic. When temperatures plunge, the water freezes, expands and causes the surface to rupture. When the ice melts, it leaves a void below the surface, which caves in under the stress of vehicles and eventually forms a pothole.
"Snow and ice are the worst weather conditions for exacerbating existing road defects, due to the repetition of the freeze-thaw process," says Geoff French, vice president of the Institute of Civil Engineers.
'Quick fixes'
"A small crack has become a large crack, a large crack has become a small pothole and a small pothole very rapidly becomes a large pothole."
The timing and length of the current freeze - yesterday was reportedly the 24th in a row with snow on the ground and temperatures below zero in Scotland - have also made matters worse. Usually the weather for creating potholes arrives in February and March, when there is more rain. This year's snow means the water has arrived earlier. The length of the cold spell also means the water has had a chance to seep right into the foundations of the roads.
Simples !
cheeRS
The freezing weather and snow causes even more potholes to appear in the UK's roads than usual. Why? It will cost thousands of pounds, but it is a job Buckinghamshire Council says is vital and urgently needs doing.
How potholes are formed
As tarmac ages, it gets more porous. Rainwater penetrates cracks caused by constant traffic use. When water freezes it expands. More cracks form and the tarmac is pushed outwards like a bubble. The ice thaws creating voids, or gaps, under the surface. These get larger with each freeze-thaw cycle. Traffic causes tarmac to collapse and form a pothole which gets larger as more traffic rolls over it.
It is sending out extra teams to repair potholes in the road because more are appearing than normal this year. It's yet more money when so much has already been spent on grit to keep roads clear, but if the repairs aren't done it could cost even more cash in the future when the holes get bigger.
Potholes are not just a problem in Buckinghamshire, local authorities across the country are having to do the same. The repeated freeze-thaw cycle of the current cold spell, its timing and its length are being blamed for making the problem worse this year.
Potholes are formed by water penetrating the asphalt surface of a road through cracks caused by traffic. When temperatures plunge, the water freezes, expands and causes the surface to rupture. When the ice melts, it leaves a void below the surface, which caves in under the stress of vehicles and eventually forms a pothole.
"Snow and ice are the worst weather conditions for exacerbating existing road defects, due to the repetition of the freeze-thaw process," says Geoff French, vice president of the Institute of Civil Engineers.
'Quick fixes'
"A small crack has become a large crack, a large crack has become a small pothole and a small pothole very rapidly becomes a large pothole."
The timing and length of the current freeze - yesterday was reportedly the 24th in a row with snow on the ground and temperatures below zero in Scotland - have also made matters worse. Usually the weather for creating potholes arrives in February and March, when there is more rain. This year's snow means the water has arrived earlier. The length of the cold spell also means the water has had a chance to seep right into the foundations of the roads.
Simples !
cheeRS
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