Infrared, all-in-one, 3D pothole repair solutions on the rise, but the basics still rule

The pothole is the bane of both the driver and a transportation department. It can ruin a morning commute and overshadow any positive roadway construction projects in an area.

According to AAA, pothole damage costs U.S. drivers roughly $3 billion a year, with roughly 16 million drivers experiencing some form of pothole damage to their vehicles over the past five years.

“On average, American drivers report paying $300 to repair pothole-related vehicle damage,” says said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “Those whose vehicles incurred this type of damage had it happen frequently, with an average of three times in the past five years.”

The public perception of pothole repair in a community can be limited to nothing much more than one worker filling a hole with a bag of cold patch, followed by a quick tamping or a simple drive-over with a truck. This perception is further clouded with the resulting crumbling and cracking a short while later on the same spot.

From city to county to the state level, transportation governing agencies put a lot of effort into repairing potholes. Many offer multiple means for the public to notify of pothole locations, from apps, to websites and hotlines. But identifying and locating them isn’t the issue. It’s the efficient and thorough repair that’s the concern.

In the quest for better solutions, contractors and transportation departments are turning to other options beyond the standard road crew fill and go.