National Highways is trialling a new method of repairing concrete roads on the M180, near Scunthorpe, to extend the lifespan of the surface.
Lanes one and two of the M180 have been experiencing issues from water getting between the carriageway joints and under the concrete. This is caused by vehicles driving atop it and pushing water up through the joints, settling on the concrete and causing it to deteriorate.
This new method inserts a durable and rapidly hardening resin into the concrete to stabilise it and prevent this kind of wear.
The £5.2M scheme, which started in the autumn, is being carried out by Metrail Construction between junctions 1 (Tudworth) and 3 (Midmoor). The work involves planing off the top layer of the road to expose roughly 30,000m2 of concrete. Around 20,000 holes are then being put into this layer of concrete, which are fille with short, narrow tubes called packers.
The resin is then injected through the concrete into these packers, forcing out any water held underneath. The resin then hardens, stabilising the concrete base, before the carriageway surface is laid on top.
The works are expected to complete in February and it is believed that this will extend the surface’s lifespan by at least a decade.
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