Pothole Condition in Canada and Evaluation of Maintenance Material

• Author / Creator

  Biswas, Simita

• Potholes are one of the most concerning deteriorations of asphalt pavement in cold climatic regions. Repair of potholes is an important form of maintenance operations for asphalt pavements conducted by most of the transportation agencies. Although a large number of previous researches including field monitoring, laboratory testing and questionnaire survey were conducted for the past three decades to study pothole repair in specific parts of the United State and Europe, limited research efforts have been devoted to inspect the severity of the pothole problem and its maintenance practice in Canada. Therefore, this research work attempts to investigate pothole severity, conduct critical assessment of current maintenance practices and identify resources available for pothole repair throughout Canada. In order to attain the main objective of this study, a questionnaire was prepared and distributed to Canadian transportation agencies. According to the survey outcomes from six provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick), a greater percentage of moderate to high severe potholes was noticed in the study area. Freeze-thaw cycle was identified as the most influential factor in pothole formation, and a large portion of pothole repairs was typically performed in the summer period. Moreover, the study results identified the most frequently used patching materials and methods in these provinces and patch durability. Inadequate stability, adhesion, cohesion and stripping potential of patching materials and improper compaction during patching operations were determined to be the main reasons of patch failure based on the concerning distresses of the repaired patch. To evaluate the performance of patching material, a laboratory testing program was conducted on cold mixes that were identified as being most frequently used by the survey. The laboratory results showed that curing time and temperature had a significant effect on strength gain iii for all cold mixes. Substantial freeze-thaw damage potential was also noticed for the cold patching materials.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Patching
  • Pothole
  • Material
  • Maintenance
  • Questionnaire

• Graduation date

  Spring 2016

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R34B2XG36

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.