Mechanical Concrete Pothole Terminator promises tyre based pothole repairs
Inventor and former West Virginia Secretary of Transportation – Samuel G. Bonasso and his partner – Jim Matuga have developed a long-term repair for potholes – the “Mechanical Concrete Pothole Terminator.”
According to Bonasso “We have a long-term, permanent solution that can actually reduce the costs of road maintenance, we can do a 90cm x 90cm (3 foot x 3 foot) pothole for less than US$100, and it will last indefinitely.”
Bonasso came up with the idea during his tenure as Transportation Secretary, when the Legislature gave us a bunch of scrap tires to get rid of. Bonasso asked the engineers, “Why couldn’t you just bury them in the base of the road?” They replied, “You cannot because they will retain water. I spent four years trying to figure out how to get rid of both problems and later developed the now-patented Mechanical Concrete innovation.”
The Pothole Terminator involves the placement of crushed stone inside an old tyre with its sidewalls removed, after which it is covered up to confine this aggregate.
According to Bonasso, “It is solid and not going anywhere. You can put asphalt, concrete, or even more stone over it. Once the Pothole Terminator is installed, the area is permeable, allowing water to run through it without causing damage, much like a French drain. It prevents ground and surface water from penetrating or damaging the roadway base. Most road surface failures are caused by water penetrating into the compacted base-stone binder, causing it to fall apart; this causes road edge collapse, potholes, ruts and creates safety problems for drivers.”
The Pothole Terminator’s inventors say their invention is not only a cost-effective solution for potholes, but it is also environmentally friendly.
