Several cities in the US have deployed a one-person pothole-filling truck called Cimline P5 to fill potholes and combat road accidents. Using the DuraPatcher technology, the truck can patch one pothole in two minutes with asphalt spray.
Given its operational speed, the Cimline P5 has significantly increased the average number of potholes covered per day from 20 to 146, a more than sevenfold increase. Once sealed with spray, the road reopens to traffic within two minutes.
A truck filling a pothole. Image: Cimline.
The Cimline P5 is currently operational in Texas, with officials in Akron, Ohio, already declaring it as a “permanent” fix for its pothole problems.
“It’s very durable. It lasts longer. This is a permanent fix for these potholes. We will not be out in three to six months to fill this pothole again,” Akron Public Works deputy public works manager, Anthony Dolly, told News 5 Cleveland.
The DuraPatcher technology
The design of the DuraPatcher technology includes a large nozzle connected to an Isuzu truck. The truck is filled with a tar-like asphalt emulsion, which can be sprayed into a pothole after it is heated.
The process of filling a pothole involves three steps. In the first step, the nozzle is placed about nine to 12 inches from the hole; a built-in compressor uses high-velocity air to clear debris and water that could obstruct the repair process.
The second step involves heating the emulsion stored in a 300-gallon tank, which is then sprayed on the sides and the bottom. Next, a dry aggregate 'cap' is applied to block tyres from picking up any sticky emulsion.
The truck is equipped with a 74hp Tier 4 Final auxiliary engine and a 450-CFM blower, built on an Isuzu chassis with an Allison 2500 six-speed transmission and a 33,000-lb GVWR.
According to Cimline, the truck can hold about 10 tonnes of patching material to fill multiple potholes in a single day.
Reviewing the driver’s cabin
Truck drivers can operate the machines using a large joystick with four colourful buttons. The cabin also includes digital displays that track job data, measurement levels, the total number of patches completed, and total hours of operation.
With only one person required to operate the entire system, the truck cuts down costs for local governments. Additionally, it’s a potentially safer approach since it reduces the need for workers and heavy machinery.
Whether or not the pothole-filling truck becomes a mainstream solution across cities remains to be seen. City officials in Akron have reported shelling out $300,000 each for two trucks, underscoring the steep pricing as a bigr hurdle to scaling truck usage.
Some viewers have said the system struggles to level surfaces properly after the holes are filled, leading to speed bumps and bulges. It remains to be seen if the truck becomes a key solution in America’s fight to fill an estimated 55 million potholes that have carved up on its streets.