What is highway maintenance?
Highway maintenance is vital to ensuring local communities can go about their day-to-day activities. Whether there is damage to a road, bridge, or pathway, it can have a significant impact on the people in a local area. If people are unable to access employment, education, health or social services, it can have a knock-on effect to the economic development of the community. That’s why it’s important that highways are actively maintained, with any damage being quickly repaired to ensure minimal disruption to the local area.
What are the different types of highway maintenance?
Whilst the overarching goal of road maintenance is to provide a safe surface for travel, there are two categories which tasks can fall into.
- Reactive maintenance. Reactive highway maintenance is usually required as a result of an incident. However, the urgency of reactive highway maintenance can vary, depending on how disruptive and dangerous it can be. For example, if a vehicle crashes into a motorway barrier, it can cause significant delays and require emergency maintenance work to be carried out. Whereas, if a pothole forms on a residential street, it can have minimal impact on the road network and can be repaired at a later date.
- Preventative maintenance. Preventative highway maintenance involves regular inspections to be carried out, to avoid problems developing. For example, if a highway surface has signs of abrasion, it can be reinforced with a fast-setting concrete coating, such as Parex Highway CA1. This can provide additional wear-resistance and stop a pothole from developing, allowing for continued use of the road.
What common problems are solved with highway maintenance?
Highway maintenance can come in many forms. However, there are a couple of problems which regularly occur on highways across the UK.
- Bridge stability. Bridge bearings are responsible for withstanding significant loads, such as moving vehicles and strong winds. To ensure these structures remain serviceable for as long as possible, regular maintenance is required. Depending on the condition of the bridge bearings, an epoxy based mortar such as Parex Epoxy Mortar E can be used to provide additional support.
- Kerb displacement. In the event of an accident, kerbs can become damaged or displaced. If a pavement kerb is not quickly repaired, it can cause ongoing disruption and frustration for pedestrians wanting to make use of their local pathways. Fortunately, a rapid-setting bedding mortar such as Parex Kerbfix can be used for pavement repair.
- Manhole safety. Whilst manholes are designed to be load-bearing, the continuous impact of traffic can cause the surrounding concrete to crack. To ensure the manhole remains safe to drive on, the concrete can be quickly repaired using a high-quality bedding mortar, such as Parex Highway FrameFix Mortar.
Where to buy highway maintenance products?
At PX Store, we are leading suppliers of Parex products. With a wide selection of highway maintenance materials, from bedding mortars to bonding compounds, we have a product for all highway maintenance projects. Whether it involves kerb repair or manhole replacement, Parex products can be used to provide a fast return to service.
If you place an order before midday it will be processed the exact same day, ensuring your road repair materials are with you as quickly as possible.
Get in touch with PX Store
As specialists in the manufacture, distribution, and application of highway maintenance products, we are on hand to advise on the best materials for specific projects. So, if you are uncertain which product you should choose, feel free to get in touch.