Conclusions and Recommendations

Conclusions

The AMPS database was used to provide information on trunk road schemes that were nominally five years old. In total 49 sites were assessed by the SIP inspection team. The main findings of the survey were as follows:

• The panel assessed 87% of the five-year-old surfacing sites to be defect free and performing well.
• These results corroborate other SIP survey findings that TS2010 will provide enhanced durability compared to previously used Cluse 942 materials. 
• Five of the sites performed less well (Good/Moderate) although mitigating circumstances included the presence of cold load ends and an urban area containing a high density of street furniture.
• Two sites marked below Acceptable related to failure of material on a roundabout and inadequate support beneath the pavement layers.
• Issues with carriageway markings were noted including debonding and some damage associated with marking removal.

Recommendations

Based on the results and observations made during the 2023 SIP survey, the following recommendations are made:

• The occurrence of cold load ends was witnessed on SIP sites and travel between sites. It is recommended that the causes of cold material and the use of techniques, such as automatic data capture, be promoted to eradicate cold spots happening on future schemes.
• A review on the performance of roundabouts should be undertaken so that guidance on optimum material selection is available.
• Care needs to be taken as part of the design and maintenance process to ensure adequate support is provided to the upper layers.
• A review of the performance of carriageway markings should be considered to address issues associated with debonding and effective removal.