Planned maintenance
We analyse all the information from surveys and inspections to determine the best treatment and timing for preventative maintenance repairs.
Preventative maintenance means treating footways before they have substantial failures. This enables us to prevent further deterioration.
Footway micro-asphalt
Footway micro-asphalt is the application of a cold mix bitumen emulsion overlay to a footway surface. Footway micro-asphalt is used to seal a footway surface, preventing water from getting into it. It also improves the texture of the footway and provides a uniform surface preventing holes from forming.
It is a surface treatment and can only be used to repair or improve problems with the footway surface, not the structural layers of construction. Footway micro-asphalt is quick to apply and can be walked on soon after laying, keeping disruption to a minimum.
We use micro-asphalt as a preventative treatment. Treating a footway just before faults occur can prolong its life and prevent the need for more disruptive treatments.
Footway patching
Patches are repairs to small areas of failed footways, replacing one or more of the bituminous (Tarmac) layers of construction.
We can use patching to repair areas where the surface or structural layers of the footway are failing. Depending on the size of the road, patching can be carried out using traffic management but can require a road closure.
We design patching to have a minimum design life of 10 years.
Footway patching and micro-asphalt
Sometimes a footway is mostly suitable for micro-asphalt but has a few areas of failure in the structural layers. We will aim to patch and micro-asphalt these types of issues.
Using a micro-asphalt surface over the patches rather than just patching, we can prevent water from getting into the footway and provide a uniform surface. We may carry out the patching up to a year before the micro-asphalt.
Depending on the size of the adjacent road, patching can be carried out using traffic management - but can require a road closure.
Footway micro-asphalt is quick to lay and can be walked on soon after applying, keeping disruption to a minimum. This treatment will prolong the life of the footway and prevent the need for more disruptive measures.
Footway reconstruction
Reconstruction involves replacing a substantial depth of the footway's bituminous (Tarmac) layers. Reconstruction can be considered when a footway has extensive areas of structural failure.
Where possible, we utilise recycled material such as foam-base bitumen. This is a product manufactured in Lincolnshire from material that has been excavated from other schemes.
This reduces the scheme's carbon footprint by not requiring the excavation and processing of new materials. It also helps the carbon footprint by manufacturing in Lincolnshire and not importing material from out of the county.
While we continuously work to minimise disruption, reconstruction works are extensive construction works and can be disruptive. They will almost always require a road closure to carry out the works safely.
Siding
Siding removes soil and vegetation that grows on or encroaches onto a footway. This often happens where a footway isn't used and is standard on rural footways linking villages.
We carry out siding works that return footways to their full width each winter.