Infrared machine creates long-term repair for streets

Kenneth Cummings, Communications Director

The City of Jackson acquired a new infrared street repair machine in the fall of 2020 to help in the process of decreasing the number of potholes on city streets. The infrared machine is used as a secondary tool to the City’s pothole patch machine.

“Patching is what I like to call, ‘get out and throw,’” said City of Jackson Street Department Superintendent Johnny Weddle. “It is a quick temporary fix until we can actually get the infrared machine to repair the cut."

City Street Department worker makes a temporary
pothole patch after winter-weather mix cleared in
February 2021.

The infrared machine, which runs 2 days/week, is an 8x11 chamber with 16 burners that is mounted on a trailer. Some of the burners can be turned off in order to make smaller cuts.

According to Weddle, propane is the bulk of the cost to run the infrared machine compared to the process prior to the machine. Before acquiring the infrared machine, Weddle said that crews would use to have to dig out the area, prep the ground and come back with asphalt to refill the cut. The hot mix that was used costs about $75/ton.

A city street department worker uses a mini
torch to light the burners on the new infrared
machine. The machine is used to make larger
repairs in streets.

“We repaired 54 cuts (using the infrared machine) from January through April of 2021 and it only cost $164 to run,” Weddle said. “It is an investment for the city because it is a one-time patch and it’s done. We can get about 10-15 years out of a patch when we use the infrared machine.”

Weddle said that in the past, he would receive requests made for the same area multiple times in one month but the new machine makes it a lot easier and more efficient.

The process of using the infrared machine is slow; taking about 8-10 minutes to heat, the surface around the pothole depending on how much of the street has to be burned. Once the surface is heated, existing asphalt is moved around and new mix is added in order to get a good compaction to bring everything back to the correct level.

“There were spots on a street that were getting patched over and over,” Weddle said. “The new infrared machine repaired the patch and we no longer have to go back.”

The new infrared machine is used to burn street
surfaces in order to make permanent repairs.

CITY STREETS VS. STATE ROUTES

Weddle said that the infrared machine make take longer to heat state route street due to the type of mix already used on the street but in the end, the seam is what makes the repair last.

“State routes use different mix,” Weddle said. “When we heat those streets [with the infrared machine], we have to take the existing mix out and replenish it with new mix. The seam is the most important area because once water gets around that seem and it freezes up, that’s what causes the pothole.”

PROACTIVE FIXES AND REPORTING POTHOLES

“When [my crews] leave the gate – they may have a ticket in the 300 block of S. Royal – if they see five potholes before they get to their area, they’re supposed to stop and fix them,” Weddle said about the Department’s policy on being proactive. “It wasn’t a complaint, but the drivers saw it and they stopped and fixed it.”

Motorists can report potholes to City of Jackson Street Department by downloading the Ready311 App or by dialing 3-1-1 from the mobile phone. All tickets are reported as potholes for temporary patches but will also be set up for infrared crews to repair.

“If a person were to call or we get a message, that ticket will be generated and will go out to the crewmember running the pothole patch machine,” Weddle said. “He will do a temporary patch, but there is a waiting period for us to get out to repair it with the infrared machine.”

Weddle said that his crew would check that area periodically until they are able to get out using the infrared to repair it unless the entire street gets bad. That is when, according to Weddle, he will make a call to put the street on a resurfacing list.