JCB Launch Dedicated Pothole Repair Machine

Construction machine manufacturer JCB have launched a machine which they claim can repair a pothole in less than eight minutes.

Unveiled at a recent virtual press conference, the JCB Pothole Pro was designed as an all-in-one solution that combines three separate pothole machines to allow for cutting, cropping and cleaning of potholes, removing the need for specialist equipment and additional manpower.

The development of the machine was supervised by the chairman of JCB Lord Bamford, who described the need to find a solution to the growing number of potholes on British roads as something he was “fixated” on finding a solution to.

Potholes are a major issue, despite the decrease in road users over 2020. In March 2020, the government pledged to spend £27bn over the next five years to fill in 50m potholes across the United Kingdom.

There are multiple ways for JCB work clothes-clad repairers to fill a pothole. However, the main steps involve cleaning water and debris from the pothole, before straightening edges with clean cuts around the patch area and cropping a uniform hole profile.

After this, tar is added and the patch is compacted with a roller or plate. Typically this is a labour-intensive process requiring a not-insubstantial team. However, with three pieces of machinery being integrated into one unit, driven by one person, the costs and labour time are significantly reduced.

According to trials undertaken by Stoke-on-Trent city council, the machine was four times quicker than traditional methods and cost half as much.