The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Fri Jul 21, 2017 7:03 pm**

Hi,

About 10 months ago I had my kerb drop-down extended and the pavement replaced as part of this job. NYCC Highways Inspectors have passed the initial job as meeting their standards.

I have identified several patches of the surface which appear to be crumbling so I contacted the installer and was advised that they would not effect any repairs unless Highways asked for them.

Today a Highways Inspector came at my request and declared that the damaged area had to be at least 20 mm deep for him to declare it as defective. He also stated that it could be that the damage is being caused by the power steering on the cars driving over the pavement onto our concrete drive.

I am amazed at this suggestion as the previous tarmac had been in place for over 40 years with no damage like this. We have had the current car for three years.

I have two questions I hope this group can help me with.

1 Are there issues with the current pavement top surface tar mix over the last year? It has been suggested to me that my issue is not relevant just to me but is more widely spread.

2. What do you suggest I do? Just leave it until the hole is deeper or try and insist the installer comes back and repairs the damage?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Posted: **Sun Jul 23, 2017 1:57 pm**

hot weather and power steering not a good mix. Tarmac can take up to two years to fully oxidise

Posted: **Sun Jul 23, 2017 2:32 pm**

It's a highway project therefore, it doesn't really matter what you think or believe: it's the "property" of NYCC and if they say they are happy, then you just have to accept that.

Despite the fact that you paid for the dropped crossing to be constructed, as a public highway, it is NOT your property. You might as well complain about crumbling or pot-holing on your neighbour's drive - it's buggerall to do with you!

Your questions:

1 - widespread failure of surface course macadam? That sounds like the sort of bollocks you hear in the tap room about 11pm on a Friday night. Believe me, if there *was* any "widely spread" failure, the industry would be more than aware of it.....but there is no such problem.

2 - Leave it be. If it does develop into a pothole >20mm depth, then you can call out the council again, but in all honesty, it would have to be at least 20mm deep, at least 150 x150mm in plan size, and constitute a hazard to the general public before a highways inspector could authorise a repair, and with the decimation of local authority funding, even meeting those criteria may not be enough to warrant a repair. Look at the roads in your area: they are probably in far worse condition in some places, but still haven't been repaired. Councils just don't have the money, due to cuts imposed by central government, to repair the big potholes, let alone what they would consider to be, at best, a very minor defect.

Not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure, but this is the way it is in Austerity Britain.

The Brew Cabin

New drop down pavement crumbling - Query regarding issues with relativly ne