It’s been a year since Mike Goosney put a pothole solution he developed to the test in Deer Lake and the results are good.
Goosney, owner of On Demand Service, teamed up with Humber Ready Mix and Construction Solutions to fill three potholes in the town.
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One of those potholes is located near Tim Hortons.
“That’s as solid as the day it was put there,” said Goosney. The rest of the area though still has a few potholes.
Goosney’s solution is basically aimed at trying to stop the flex in the ground.
To fill a pothole, he puts a drill rod into the ground and then installs a perforated piping system to provide drainage.
The pipe acts as an expansion joint that won’t allow the pothole to pop up or drop down and the size of pipe used depends on the size of the pothole.
With the pipe in place, the pothole is filled.
There is a bit more to the method as weather information, including freeze and thaw patterns, also play a role.
Goosney used three different aggregate mixes, including recycled asphalt, in the potholes he filled and all three are standing the test of time.
The second pothole is located in the area of Squires Road. “That’s one of the worst roads in town for reoccurring (potholes),” said Goosney.
The town filled a pothole right next to it using conventional methods and while Goosney’s pothole is “still solid,” the town one has been refilled three times.
Goosney, who is now a member of the town’s council, said he won’t pursue filling any more potholes in Deer Lake.
But he’d liked to get some more data on his method, so he’s branching out and hopes to get some other municipalities to come on board.
Eventually, he’d like to package the product complete with chart on how to determine the pipe needed for the job.
In the long run Goosney said the fix can save communities money and in turn creating savings for the province that could result in less money being spent in capital works funding.
