RoadMender reinstatement trial

Completed

Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Civil Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
Eastern Power Networks plc

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 January 2016

01 December 2017

23 months

£493,106

Power

London

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, Eastern Power Networks plc

Project Contact, South Eastern Power Networks plc
Project Contact, UK Power Networks

We are expecting that the use of RoadMender and the propriety reinstatement material, a polymer modified asphalt, will help in the reduction of road congestion, improve process cycle time to improve customer satisfaction, reduce pollution with less vehicle movements, whilst improving the quality of reinstatement and thus reducing the volume and cost of reinstatement failures. The following will be considered when assessing whether the project has been successful: Material compliance Speed of reinstatement versus conventional methods Compliance with SROH Cost benefit Process cycle time Number of days of disruption reduced

UK Power Networks continually strives to run a sustainable and customer driven business. This project is aimed to address both of these areas by delivering what stakeholders want in terms of reduced duration of work on the street and reduced costs to conduct that work. At present UK Power Networks has c. 14,600 works per year that can be classified as involving small excavations (less than 2m2); this includes faults, new customer connections, link box replacements, link box frame and cover replacements, pole replacements and public lighting faults. Also with the ever increasing pressure on people’s time more customer connection work is being requested to take place over the weekend and for fault work to be done as a continuous process (locate, dig, fix, reinstate). This is difficult when asphalt plants, required for reinstatement materials, typically close at 3pm each day and do not open at weekends. There is also an increase in local authorities demanding that we are off the highway quicker so that they can meet their network management duty to make the road available to the travelling public for the majority of the time. Much work has been done to reduce the process time to do work and amount of contaminated soil that goes to landfill. The major process issue is now the time it takes to complete the reinstatement phase of work and guarantee the air void and general construction performance of the reinstatement. This is being caused by: The need to make multiple trips to asphalt plants for different types of material Lack of availability of hot asphalt in the evening and at weekends Wasted time travelling twice a day to asphalt plants and waiting time to be served (this results in an average of four hours lost time a day)Small amounts of hot asphalt material being transported over long distances reduces the effective reinstatement temperature resulting in greater likely hood of air voids in the finished resurfacing and A high degree of waste at the end of the day as material becomes less usable. The project will trial the use of emerging technology and materials for producing all types of asphalt locally at the work site in the required volume and mix for the job in hand, along with the durability of the mixed material to comply with the Specification for Reinstatements of Openings in Highways (SROH). The main activities will be: Test material for compliance with the SROH, engaging Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)Carry out accelerated wear test Compare speed and cost effectiveness of ‘RoadMender’ equipment compared with existing methods of reinstatement Develop best transport method Compare end to end time to do work between existing and new processes Gauge customer satisfaction Gauge ease of use by reinstatement teams Development of an evaluation pro forma to assess the performance of each trialled replacement technique. Peer review undertaken of results with other DNOs. This project will be carried out in two phases: Phase 1 - Material compliance at TRL. The purpose of this phase will be to test the new material and method of mixing to ensure that it meets BS EN specification for the material and the requirements of the SROH, before full on highway trails are to take place. Phase 2 - On site trails and comparisons. This second phase will only be carried out subject to successful outcome of the first phase. It will involve using the new equipment, material and process as part of day to day work delivery.Also in this phase the reliability, durability and cost effectiveness of the product and material will be evaluated.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above

11/12/18