ForConstructionPros.com

Of all the various pavement maintenance technologies, the one that has arguably seen the greatest innovation in recent years is repair of potholes and repair of utility cuts. While research indicates that the strongest repair is still a saw-cut remove-and-replace patch, developments on both the equipment side and the material side have resulted in cost-effective alternatives that are reliable and that enable even more contractors to offer these repairs to their clients.

Contractors looking to test the pothole repair market can get involved for the low cost of some basic hand tools and a 5-gallon bucket of proprietary cold mix. But contractors looking to get involved in pothole repair, general repair of pavement defects, and repair of utility cuts on a larger scale – working contracts with cities, counties, and those who handle multiple large-scale parking lots – can also add equipment to their fleet.

The key for adding equipment is production. If you're going to invest in equipment you have to keep it busy enough to justify its cost. So contractors with clients who provide work on large areas of pavement can consider machines that are designed specifically to repair potholes and utility cuts. Contractors who don't have as many potholes to fix or steady contracts with utility companies to repair their cuts might consider other types of equipment that is more versatile, such as asphalt maintainers or infrared machines.

John Alcorn, vice president and co-owner of AA Asphalting Inc., Sumner, WA, banks on repairing utility cuts as part of his company's steady work. The contractor operates from four Washington locations, employs 90 people, and runs seven asphalt crews and three concrete crews. Much of the company's work involves utility cut repairs, and Alcorn says 60% of all utility repairs are for the gas company.

To keep its utility repair work on schedule the company relies on two Leeboy 1200 S asphalt maintainer/patchers, which Alcorn says keep production up and costs down. Alcorn says he and Jeff Jewett, president, started their business in 1978 and bought their first of two asphalt maintainers in 1988. They've become an integral part of the AA Asphalting fleet ever since.