Highway engineers need to be open-minded to using the ‘complete’ tool box of solutions as part of their asset management strategies, with different surface treatments offering cost effective and sustainable alternatives, as moe local authorities introduce a more proactive approach as part of their maintenance strategies.
That was the message from Paul Boss, Chief Executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) and Howard Robinson, Managing Director, ASI Solutions, who both spoke as part of this week’s Highways Voices podcast.
Mr Boss said he was ‘dissapointed’ to hear of the expected reduction in capital block funding for maintenance but welcomed the additional money for potholes. He said to help cope with any changes in funding and maintenance programmes, as a result, local authorities should keep preventative surface treatments in their plans. “It is important to remember- it’s not just about the money. If local authorities are using all the tools that they’ve got their disposal, then they can be they can be using those more efficient and more sustainable treatments and actually making the money that they have got go a lot further. What I would say to local authorities is keep your preventative and your surface treatment maintenance in there, because ultimately, that is going to save you much more money in the long run.”
Mr Robinson, whose company supplies the asphalt preservative Rhinophalt, said: “Things are changing. I think nowadays, the recognition that we don’t have to accept that roads will always deteriorate as quickly as they as they often do, and there’s new techniques emerging which will help to hold the condition you know, hold the road service in good condition for longer and delay the need to use some of these more intrusive techniques.”
“The engineers job really is to use a wide palette of treatments that are now available and work out what treatments to use where and when. So it’s about really selecting the right tool in the toolbox at the appropriate time.”
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