Under road heating

Frank the tank
Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
edited March 2013 in The cake stop
Seen an item on the local news tonight with a view to this being the cure to the ongoing pot hole problem. Apparently it is something that is used elsewhere. When the cost of repairs and gritting etc are taken into account not to mention insurance claims and lost working hours; surely it must be a solution worth giving serious consideration.

Anyone any thoughts.
Tail end Charlie

The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.

Comments

  • declan1
    declan1 Posts: 2,470
    I thought you were joking there.

    How much would it cost? Surely it's easier and cheaper just for the councils to actually go out and repair potholes properly?

    Road - Dolan Preffisio
    MTB - On-One Inbred

    I have no idea what's going on here.
  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    The tarmac only has to be kept above freezing in order to stop the ice forming which is the major cause of pot holes. I believe the system would use a renewable source of energy. Obviously it would be an expence but as I said when the true cost of the benefits are taken into account it must take serious consideration.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Back in the 60's & 70's quite a few roads in Britain were designed with this in mind including the Hammersmith flyover which was damaged by salt water as the assumed the heating would work and no need to grit the roads.

    Sounds like the cost could be worth if it means less gritting needed and fewer repairs.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    geothermal energy to heat the roads?

    possible the most expensive thing ever?
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    or just have people fit winter tyres. plow but dont grit.

    other than the very major roads.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    It would be cheaper to build a glass dome over the UK, with a window to let the aircraft fly in and out (or Soni's UFO).
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    ben@31 wrote:
    It would be cheaper to build a glass dome over the UK, with a window to let the aircraft fly in and out (or Soni's UFO).

    Really based on what costings?

    In other countries they have found it to be cheaper over a 20 period to have such roads in place. Though have to admit it does need some consideration for UK roads, but the Highways agency are running a couple of tests on the newer systems currently.

    I'm not saying its right or wrong but without the costings for UK roads think its pretty hard to say.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • the playing mantis
    the playing mantis Posts: 2,129
    in trondheim they heat the pavements/roads by pumping seawater underneath them (in pipes) , just prevents ice/snow forming/settling
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    Danlikesbikes wrote:
    ben@31 wrote:
    It would be cheaper to build a glass dome over the UK, with a window to let the aircraft fly in and out (or Soni's UFO).

    Really based on what costings?

    really big glass domes r us . com


    ...or I might have made it up.
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • ooermissus
    ooermissus Posts: 811
    The plan is to connect the road network to the internet, using excess hot air from the latter to keep the former from icing over.
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    ooermissus wrote:
    The plan is to connect the road network to the internet, using excess hot air from the latter to keep the former from icing over.

    That would be too slow and keep on cutting out every few minutes. You'd have to start to buffering in autumn.
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    the playing mantis wrote:
    in trondheim they heat the pavements/roads by pumping seawater underneath them (in pipes) , just prevents ice/snow forming/settling

    Could do it with a ground source heat pump too I guess
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Coach H
    Coach H Posts: 1,092
    Danlikesbikes wrote:
    the playing mantis wrote:
    in trondheim they heat the pavements/roads by pumping seawater underneath them (in pipes) , just prevents ice/snow forming/settling

    Could do it with a ground source heat pump too I guess

    In Lake Tahoe (USA) they use hot water from the local gothermal springs to heat some paths and roads. You can actually feel the warmth of the footpaths through your shoes and they steam during snowfalls
    Coach H. (Dont ask me for training advice - 'It's not about the bike')
  • Sussed out
    Sussed out Posts: 189
    They installed this at the top of Ormesby Bank in Middlesbrough. Only problem was all the melting water from the top of the hill ran further down and froze solid in a massive sheet.
    I've heard in Africa they don't have to install anything like under road heating to prevent icing, yet still have problems with poor surfaces. Perhaps transport some heat from there to here, and some cold from here to there to firm up the roads?
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    Sussed out wrote:
    They installed this at the top of Ormesby Bank in Middlesbrough. Only problem was all the melting water from the top of the hill ran further down and froze solid in a massive sheet.
    I've heard in Africa they don't have to install anything like under road heating to prevent icing, yet still have problems with poor surfaces. Perhaps transport some heat from there to here, and some cold from here to there to firm up the roads?

    maybe we should do what some african countries do and let china build our roads for us?
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,965
    The biggest problem I can see is how are the services going to be able to get to there stuff under the roads, gas water electric etc.. It only seems like weeks after they've put on a new surface that some prat is digging it up again. I've noticed that a lot of the damage/potholes appear at the edges of where the holes have been dug and filled in.

    Perhaps in the countries that have this system they put the services somewhere else?


    The older I get, the better I was.

  • natrix
    natrix Posts: 1,111
    Danlikesbikes wrote:
    Back in the 60's & 70's quite a few roads in Britain were designed with this in mind including the Hammersmith flyover which was damaged by salt water as the assumed the heating would work and no need to grit the roads.

    Not sure what you meant to say, but the heating system broke, so they had to revert to using deicing salt which led to corrosion of the tendons.
    ~~~~~~Sustrans - Join the Movement~~~~~~
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    natrix wrote:
    Danlikesbikes wrote:
    Back in the 60's & 70's quite a few roads in Britain were designed with this in mind including the Hammersmith flyover which was damaged by salt water as the assumed the heating would work and no need to grit the roads.

    Not sure what you meant to say, but the heating system broke, so they had to revert to using deicing salt which led to corrosion of the tendons.

    Was a comment that its not new technology as we had in on quite a few sections of UK roads back in the 60's & 70's, obviously the technology was at its forefront then & councils assumed that once it stopped working (in this case) using normal road salt/grit would be fine however think we all know how that one panned out.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Sussed out
    Sussed out Posts: 189
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:

    maybe we should do what some african countries do and let china build our roads for us?

    Actually, yes. This.
  • freddiegrubb
    freddiegrubb Posts: 448
    YOU MUST BE JOKING, I struggle to heat the house never mind paying for the roads as well, have I gone to sleep & it's April 1st?

Categories