'Cost effective' pothole repairs

Traditionally road surface maintenance, reinstatement and removal has entailed the use of many different operations, machines and man-power. Bitmen Product's infra-ray road heater fulfils many of these functions by providing a single mobile unit, quiet and clean in operation, with the additional advantage of permitting work under otherwise adverse conditions.  With the cost of highway liability claims alone reaching around £500m a year, it has become increasingly important for contractors to provide fast and effective repairs.

The road heater has a propane fired heating panel which applies infra-red energy to asphalt and tarmacadam road surfaces. Heat penetration of the material is effected, and softening of the binder content obtained to a point where the material becomes workable. Other systems which use a naked flame tend to burn and destroy the road surface. Infra-red heat does not impair the quality of the material. As soon as the material has been conditioned by the road heater many alternatives are open to the contractor: the material can easily be removed; or since it is not displaced in any way by the heater, it may be rolled again to provide a good wearing surface; or new material, including pre-coated chips, can be added and rolled in to improve the surface.

Some of the main advantages include:

A standard range of equipment is available as well as specialised equipment, which can be designed for customers’ specific requirements e.g. machines for trenching work, lorry mounted or paver mounted machines.

For smaller areas, a range of asphalt finishing tools are also available for the removal of bumps, indentations and high spots.

BITMEN PRODUCTS

P O BOX 339, OVER, CAMBRIDGE, UK, CB4 5TU

TEL:  0870 751 3973  FAX:  0870 751 3974