Neath Port Talbot Council trials thermoplastic pothole repair method

Neath Port Talbot Council road repair crews have been trialling a new pothole repair method which uses a thermoplastic based substance instead of traditional tarmac.

Initial results from the tests suggest the use of the new material could be faster, cleaner, and less expensive.

The substance is hot applied to repair and preserve the condition of existing carriage and footway surfaces.

Compared to traditional methods of repair it is a quick process, as there is no excavation required and the material is supplied in meltable bags which are placed directly into a boiler, there is little to no waste produced when undertaking a repair.

A council spokesperson said: “In the trial, a total of 215 square metres was repaired in around two day, using approximately three tonnes of material.”

“If this was done with the traditional ‘excavate and reinstate’ method, this would have taken considerably longer, required approximately 21 tonnes of tarmac, and would have presented a similar amount of spoil waste that would have needed tipping off.”