Ground source heat pumps could prevent potholes

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Ground source heat pumps are being proposed as a solution to roads that melt in the summer and potholes formed after freezing and thawing in the winter.

Potholes on England’s major roads have caused 5,000 injuries since 2018. In 2022 England spent £1.2bn on road maintenance and repair
Potholes on England’s major roads have caused 5,000 injuries since 2018. In 2022 England spent £1.2bn on road maintenance and repair - AdobeStock

To this end, Surrey University’s Dr Benyi Cao has been awarded an £800,000 research fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering to lead a project that aims to improve how major UK roads are maintained and upgraded.

Dr Cao will work with National Highways to trial the use of ground source heat pumps to cool roads in summer and warm them in winter. The study will also support National Highways’ net zero plan, which aims to make road maintenance net zero by 2040.

In a statement, Dr Cao, a lecturer in the School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, said: “At the moment, a typical motorway or A-road surface lasts 20 years, but this is likely to reduce as extreme weather increases. However, by regulating the temperature of road surfaces, they should last significantly longer. Aside from the safety benefits and reduction to car damage, think of the reduction in expensive, inconvenient roadworks.”

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Current road technology creates an estimated 700,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year, and the cost of repairing potholed roads is expected to be £12bn over the next decade. Thermo-active roads could provide a low-cost, low-carbon alternative to reduce road damage.

“Climate change poses an extra threat to our roads. Thermo-active roads could help mitigate this,” said Dr Cao. “They could be introduced gradually as resurfacing takes place, so wouldn’t cause any extra disruption for motorists. I think there will be long-term benefits to drivers and taxpayers. That’s what I aim to demonstrate during my fellowship.”

During his five-year research fellowship, Dr Cao will work with engineering materials group Versarien to develop a new microcapsule to dig into the soil beneath the surface when roads are resurfaced to improve heat conduction and storage; and create a laboratory scale model road segment with a heat pump in Surrey University’s Advanced Geotechnical Laboratory. This will evaluate the thermal performance and resilience of roads under controlled climatic and traffic loads.

road maintenance