National Highways Authority (NHAI) is spearheading a campaign to bring self-repairing roads to the country. It has begun investigating a technology that could revolutionize road building across India. The method uses self-healing asphalt, which could tackle potholes – one of India’s biggest causes of road accidents and fatalities.

NHAI May Introduce Self-Heading Roads In India

“We are looking for out-of-the-box and unconventional methods to increase road life and address the problem of potholes,” said an official with the Indian government.

Self-healing asphalt can repair itself, potentially eliminating the problem of potholes. But before it can be fully deployed, authorities need to carry out a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, according to the NHAI.

“This will enhance road life many times over as well as reduce frequent maintenance requirements, thus saving on traffic disruptions,” added the official.

The need for such transformative measures is underlined by recent statistics. In 2022 alone, there were 4,446 accidents caused due to potholes on national highways — up 22.6% from 3,625 in 2021. These incidents claimed 1,856 lives — an increase of 25.3% from last year’s death toll of 1,480.

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How does this ground-breaking technology work?

Asphalt is a mixture of gravel and sand bound together with bitumen; it is also used as the primary material for constructing roads. Over time however, bitumen starts breaking down leading to erosion in asphalt followed by cracks which ultimately become dangerous potholes; these issues are addressed through self-repairing properties offered by such types of smart surfaces.
To enable this innovation small steel wool fragments are incorporated into the bitumen thereby making it conductive; after laying solidifying heat may then be applied to activate the bitumen thereby allowing Aggregates within the mixture to bind seamlessly together again through their binder.

 

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According to an Economic Times report. The ministry has allocated Rs 2,600 crore for the maintenance of roads in the 2024-25 fiscal, which is the same as budget estimate/revised estimate (BE/RE) for the current fiscal but slightly higher than Rs 2,573.66 crore spent in 2022-23. This shows the government’s commitment to adopting new techniques to improve infrastructure and ensure safety while traveling on highways.

What Is Self-Healding Road Technology

Self-healing roads are exactly what they sound like roads that heal themselves. The material used is called “smart asphalt,” and it\’s made up of a mix that contains tiny bits of steel fiber and small capsules filled with epoxy resin. When a crack forms, those capsules break open and release their contents into the gap, filling it up. Then, when heated by a special machine, the steel fibers melt together and seal the crack shut.

The technology was developed by Erik Schlangen, a civil engineering professor based in the Netherlands. He has already built some self-healing asphalt roads that can fix themselves without any human intervention whatsoever.

“Would this not cost a fortune?” you might ask. Yes, initially it would be more expensive. Nevertheless, over time these roads can become less expensive as they need fewer repairs than traditional roads do. In addition to being relatively cheap, they are also highly durable – 80 years!

Also, one fascinating fact about these roads is that they can conduct electricity due to the steel fibers in them. This creates some interesting opportunities, especially for electric cars. Schlangen believes that in the future we may be able to charge electric cars while they are driving on such roads.

Just think about it: your vehicle is sitting at a traffic light during rush hour and getting a little bit of energy from the pavement underneath. Although this concept is still in its infancy stages, Schlangen plans on testing it at several intersections soon with his team members. Hence there’s no telling what could happen later on down the road where streets not only fix themselves but also power our automobiles!