POTHOLE FIXING UNIT

AN ECONOMICAL , EFFECTIVE AND ACCESSIBLE SOLUTION Project team:

1. Arjun CH2. Karthik Kiran RM3. J Prasanna Venkatesh

2INTRODUCTION

INDIA has the 2nd largest road and highway network in the world. Yet, it is better known for being one of the most pothole stricken road networks.

Pothole condition aggravates during the onset of monsoon. This remains to be so, given the negligence and high investment

to fix even a small pothole. Potholes do not just irritate drivers and damage vehicles, they

actually kill. The project involves the 3D-design and a scaled down prototype

of a pothole fixing unit which is aimed at reducing human effort and expertise to patch potholes.

3What is a pothole?

A pothole is a type of failure in an asphalt pavement caused by the presence of water in the underlying soil structure and the presence of traffic passing over the affected area.

This failure is seen as irregularities or voids in the roads.

4How are potholes formed?

5Causes of pothole

Insufficient pavement thickness to support traffic in freeze or thaw conditions without localized failures.

Insufficient water drainage. Failures at utility trenches and castings (manhole and

drained casings). Miscellaneous pavement defects and cracks left

unmaintained and unsealed so as to admit moisture and compromise the structural integrity of the pavement.

6MethodologyIdentification of

issues related withpothole fixing

Selection of coldasphalt considering

the advantages

Pothole survey toidentify common

size of small potholes

2D hand drawn sketches of top

view and side view

Development of2D sketches into 3D

designs on SolidWorks

Cost estimation of Pothole Fixing Unit

Fabrication of scaled down 1:2

prototype in wood

Testing andrectification of

errors

7Hot asphalt vs Cold asphalt

Hot asphalt is mixed around at 300 F, and paving, pothole repair and compaction must be performed while the asphalt is sufficiently hot.

Paving and pothole repair is restricted to summer months in many states, because in the winter the ground will cool the asphalt before it is packed to the optimal air content, preventing proper pothole repair.

Cold asphalt is mixed and used at lower temperature than hot asphalt. In this state, cold asphalt is easy to work, compact and repair potholes with, and is not as viscous as hot asphalt.

A well designed cold asphalt takes on the properties of hot asphalt and is virtually indistinguishable from it, despite being easier to use for pothole repair.

As proposed by Prithvi Singh Kandhal in his research article, the cold patching mix is effective in mixed weather conditions and has a 78% survival rate of 4 years while field testing in the US under the Strategic Highway Research Program.

8Advantages of cold asphalt mix

Ready for immediate use with pre-mixed aggregates (cold technology). Cheaper while considering the equipment and labour cost. No heating or mixing or additions to the product before or after

application. Requires simple equipment such as hand brushes, shovel and a rammer.

The use of a roller is not necessary. No pre treatment of repair areas is required i.e. cutting out, use of tack

coat.  Instant curing/setting, partly by air-drying and partly by compaction.  All-weather usage product. Instant repair of roads with Shelmac PR can

be made in monsoons & wet conditions, extremes of heat (60˚C+) and cold conditions.

Highly resistant to stripping by water, offer high skid resistance. 

9Motivation:Survey on pothole related incidents.

As seen in the image, the deaths caused are much more in number compared to deaths due to terrorism.

This makes potholes one of the biggest issues that need enough attention and investment.

As of 2015, the number of deaths have increased two folds.

10A simple surveyA simple survey was conducted to determine the average size of potholes in different parts of Bangalore. It involved the basic measurement of pothole dimensions. In conclusion, we found that:• 80% of the potholes are within the size of 3’ by 3’• Average depth of potholes is 0.5’

Measuring a pothole’s width

Measuring a pothole’s depth

11Initial sketch1 Trapezoidal storage tank for cold asphalt2 Rammer bottom unit (20-25 kgs)3 Rammer handle4 Guide way for rammer5 Cam to operate rammer6 Motor to operate rammer7 Regulator to control motor speed8 Inclined guide way for flow of cold asphalt 9 Support for trapezoidal tank10 Flap operated by lever to control flow of cold

asphalt11 Wheels with braking mechanism

Parts list

12Sketch (Side view)

13 3–D Design on SolidWorks(Top view)

Chassis Tank for cold asphalt

Tire

Handle

14 3–D Design on SolidWorks(Side view)

Rammer

Battery

Brakes

CamFlap control lever

15 3–D Design on SolidWorks(Perspective view)

Motor

16 3–D Design on SolidWorks(Perspective view)

Motor

17 3–D Design on SolidWorks(Perspective view)

Flap

18Working

A pothole of size within 3’ x 3’ feet is identified. The pothole fixing unit is driven and parked above the pothole. Basic cleaning of pothole is done using wire brush. Cold asphalt from the storage tank is poured into the pothole in

necessary quantity using the flap control mechanism. The cam-operated rammer is used to push and pack the cold

mix into the area of repair.

19Cost comparison (Cold vs Hot)

A recent university study by James Bearden, shows a cost savings of 72% when using EZ Street cold asphalt compared to hot mix asphalt repair. 

20Cost comparison : Pothole fixing unit vs Python 5000

• The design proposed will cost 60,000-70,000 while produced in small batches and even lesser while mass produced.• While the fully automated Python 5000 costs 3,50,00,000 when imported to Bangalore.

21Conclusion

The project involved the 3D-design (SolidWorks) and a scaled down prototype of a pothole fixing unit which is aimed at reducing human effort and expertise to patch potholes.

A recent university study by James Bearden, shows a cost savings of 72% when using EZ Street cold asphalt compared to hot mix asphalt repair.

By comparing the cost of time and materials for each product he was able to calculate the percentage of cost savings.

In comparison to the more sophisticated methods available in the present day such as the Python 5000, The proposed design is very economical, simple to use and employs cold asphalt mix.

There lies a huge potential for the future development of the design. For one, It can be modified as a trailer attached to a bigger vehicle such as a Tractor or a Mini truck. This would create a new group of sub-contractors to fix potholes and make the pavement patching process quicker especially in India.

Thank you