Pramesh S Jain
*New technology to enable faster pothole repairs without road closures; successful pilot in Central Bengaluru to be scaled up across all five corporations.
*Technology suited for repairing smaller potholes, including during peak traffic.
*Rs.2 Crore pilot project launched in Central Bengaluru.
*Successful trial to pave the way for deployment across all five city corporations.
The Jet Patcher technology is well suited for repairing smaller potholes without disrupting traffic or causing additional congestion,Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Friday.
Launching a demonstration of the Jet Patcher technology on the road between Vidhana Soudha and M.S.Building in Central Bengaluru,the Minister said the city requires different scientific and technology-based solutions to address different types of potholes.
“Potholes are widespread across Bengaluru.In some places,only the top layer of asphalt has worn away,while in others,both the asphalt and underlying aggregate have deteriorated,resulting in deeper potholes.
We are exploring scientific solutions suited to different types of potholes,and the Jet Patcher is one such solution.
Today,we are beginning a pilot to assess the technology and, going forward,different technologies can be deployed depending on the nature and severity of the pothole,”he said.
Ideal for smaller potholes:
The Minister said the Jet Patcher is not designed to repair deep potholes, but is particularly suitable for potholes that are around two to three inches deep.
“The machine allows us to work only on the damaged portion of the road.It cleans the dust and debris, applies the bitumen and wet mix,all through a single machine.
This means repairs can be carried out even amid traffic, without creating roadblocks or major inconvenience to motorists,”he explained.
Once the repair is completed,traffic can resume within about 10 minutes,eliminating the need to undertake such repairs exclusively at night.
“Several important parts of Bengaluru have relatively small potholes of two or three inches in depth.Using this technology,these can potentially be repaired quickly,with less manpower and equipment, and without causing traffic disruption,”Gowda said.
Different technologies for different potholes:
The Minister said pothole repairs have traditionally relied on hot-mix technology,which requires the use of a roller for compaction.
“Hot-mix repairs have their limitations.They cannot be carried out effectively during the monsoon, and the process requires a roller.
If there is only one pothole on a road, deploying the entire setup may not be practical.Traffic also has to be stopped before the work begins,creating additional congestion,” he said.
Wet-mix technology,he added,allows even an isolated pothole to be repaired without having to shut down traffic on the road.
Rs.2 Crore pilot to be tested in Central Bengaluru:
The Central City Corporation has invited a tender worth ₹2 crore for the pilot project, under which Jet Patcher-based pothole repairs have now commenced.
“If the Jet Patcher technology proves successful here, we will soon expand its use to pothole repairs across all the city corporations,”Gowda said.
GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao,Central City Corporation Commissioner Jagadish G.and Additional Commissioner Venkatachalapathi R.were present.
Jet Patcher-Key Features:
>The Advanced Jet Patcher machine is being deployed with the objective of repairing potholes on city roads quickly,efficiently and in accordance with prescribed quality standards.
>The machine uses cold-mix technology and Semi Dense Bituminous Concrete (SDBC) to repair potholes up to 50 mm in depth.
>Before repair, the pothole or damaged portion of the road is identified and marked in a regular shape and size,and all loose material is removed.
Any water accumulated in the pothole is completely drained.The required quantity of RS1 bitumen emulsion tack coat is then applied before the repair mix is placed.
>A Jet Patching machine with an approved design and capacity of 5.50 to 8.00 cubic metres will be used for the work.
The machine is equipped with an auxiliary engine, direct-drive heavy-duty blower,rotary positive-displacement blower and a separate airline silencer.
It operates at 15 PSI pressure and has an air-flow capacity of 1,370 cubic metres per hour.
>After the repair mix is placed, it is properly compacted using a plate compactor, following which the work site is cleaned.
>The repair mix will contain 5% bitumen, or, as specified, 10% RS1 bitumen emulsion.
>The advanced Jet Patching technology is expected to enable pothole repairs to be carried out faster,more efficiently and with greater adherence to prescribed quality standards,while minimising disruption to traffic.
