From University of Surrey 25/08/23
A new thermo-active road solution could spell the end of melting roads in the summer and prevent potholes caused by freezing and thawing in the winter, according to researchers at the University of Surrey.
A new project that will test the new approach has been awarded a £800,000 research fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering.
The outcomes could improve how major roads across the United Kingdom are maintained and upgraded, even as climate change increases the challenge of keeping them fit for purpose.
Surrey’s Dr Benyi Cao, the project lead, will work with National Highways to trial the use of geothermal energy to keep road surfaces at a controlled temperature.
They will introduce ground source heat pumps to cool roads in summer and warm them in winter.
Dr Cao, a lecturer in the School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Surrey, said:
“At the moment, a typical motorway or A-road surface lasts 20 years, but this is likely to reduce as extreme weather increases.
However, by regulating the temperature of road surfaces, they should last significantly longer.
Aside from the safety benefits and reduction to car damage, think of the reduction in expensive, inconvenient roadworks.”
Current road technology creates an estimated 700,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year and the cost of repairing pothole-plagued UK roads is expected to be £12 billion over the next decade.
Thermo-active roads could provide a low-cost, low-carbon alternative to reduce road damage.
Potholes on England’s major roads have caused 5,000 injuries since 2018.
Last year, England spent £1.2 billion on road maintenance and repair, a process with a high carbon footprint.
Dr Cao said:
- “Climate change poses an extra threat to our roads
- Thermo-active roads could help mitigate this.
- They could be introduced gradually as resurfacing takes place, so wouldn’t cause any extra disruption for motorists.
- I think there will be long-term benefits to drivers and taxpayers.
That’s what I aim to demonstrate during my fellowship.”
