Better Repairs Start With Better Equipment
FEATURE
• Hot mix is the gold standard when placed and compacted properly, but availability and logistics are a challenge in remote or low-production areas.
• Infrared delivers seamless, thermally bonded patches without cold joints— and it’ s gaining ground fast for utility cuts, alligator cracking and winter repairs.
• Spray injection systems are fast and efficient for rural or low-volume roads with heavy distress.
• Mastic patching is ideal for fatigue cracking and surface-level defects that don’ t need full-depth repair.
Knowing which tool or technique to deploy is half the battle. The other half is actually using it correctly.
A Long-Term Mindset in a Short-Term World
Here’ s the truth: our industry is under constant pressure to do more with less. Budgets are tight, schedules are tighter and the pressure to show visible results( fast) can be overwhelming. But that can’ t be an excuse for sloppy work. Patching is the gateway to preservation. It’ s the keystone in the arch. If we fail at patching, we undermine everything that comes after— whether it’ s a chip seal, micro surfacing, overlay or full reconstruction. As someone who spends most of their time in the field, at conferences or talking with contractors and agencies across the country, I can tell you: the best operators take patching seriously. They treat it with the same precision and care they’ d give to paving a runway or restoring a historic
bridge. Why? Because they know the value of doing it right the first time.
Final Thoughts
In the pavement game, you only get one shot at a first impression. A failed patch is a black eye— not just on the road, but on your crew, your company and the entire preservation strategy. So, whether you’ re sealing a utility cut in suburban Ohio, repairing frost damage in the Rockies or prepping a city street in Sacramento for slurry seal— patch it right, or patch it twice. That choice is yours.
Daniel Martin is a regular contributor to Allied Paving Equipment and an active advocate for pavement preservation. He also serves on several industry committees, including the International Slurry Surfacing Association( ISSA) and the Western Regional Association for Pavement Preservation( WRAPP).
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Better Repairs Start With Better Equipment
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