COFFEE TIME CHALLENGE | S PONSORED BY MICRO-EPSILON
UHNOALCE-CLEYP TABLE
Sensors tailored for your application
From this to this For this ...
Laser displacement sensors, powder bed monitoring in additive processes
Speak to our experts about your measurement requirement.
+44 151 355 6070 | info@micro-epsilon.co.uk
WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK 35
www.micro-epsilon.co.uk
Once upon a time in the dim
and distant period known
as ‘February’, we regarded
potholes as one of our more
urgent problems. So much so, in fact,
that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
announced during the budget in March
that there would be £2.5 billion of
funding made available to address this.
Since then, of course, the pothole
issue has been somewhat superseded.
However, it remains a serious matter.
This is because potholes are not merely
an inconvenience that send a shudder up
the spine. They also damage vehicles’
suspension and can make them career
in the wrong direction. Cyclists are
vulnerable to being thrown from
their saddles, with potentially deadly
consequences.
Potholes are caused by cracks forming
in the road, into which water seeps and
then freezes. As the water expands, this
pushes the top layer of tarmac up and
creates a hole. The trouble is it usually
has to turn into a relatively large problem
before anyone fixes it. And when potholes
are fixed, it can be a time consuming, and
dangerous process, with workers having
to work alongside fast-moving vehicles.
It is estimated that poor roads cost
British motorists billions every year in
damage.
And the problem is only getting
worse. A freedom-of-information request
by the RAC to Highways England found
there were 528 successful claims relating
to vehicle damage caused by potholes
in 2017/18. This was more than double
the 212 recorded in 2016/17 and the 187
in 2015/16.
THE CHALLENGE
The challenge, then, is to come up
with a substance that can be used
to repair potholes quickly, cheaply
and efficiently while also producing
zero waste and – ideally – using
environmentally-friendly or recycled
materials. !
As ever we have an idea in mind that we will reveal in the June issue of Eureka! Until then, why not let us know how you would tackle the problem by leaving
your thoughts in the comments section of the Eureka! website or by emailing the editor: paul.fanning@markallengroup.com
/WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK
/www.micro-epsilon.co.uk
link
link