Road reinforcement mesh from geotechnical specialists Maccaferri, has proved its value by continuing to perform as intended, after nine years of intensive trafficking on the busy A75 trunk road in Scotland.

The A75 in Dumfries & Galloway, links the A74/M74 at Gretna with the west coast port of Stranraer, carrying thousands of heavy goods vehicles, day in day out.

Much of the road had been the subject of improvement during the late 1980's but problems of settlement had persisted. On one particular section to the east of Newton Stewart, a new section of road was constructed over poorly drained clay sub-grade and the constant heavy traffic loading had caused severe deflection of the wearing course.

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Following unsuccessful attempts at remedial work and a period of visual monitoring, engineers at Dumfries & Galloway Combined Services Department approached Maccaferri for their expertise in asphalt pavement reinforcement systems.

Both sides of the single carriageway road required attention and it was decided that a 1000m long section of road be reconstructed using Maccaferri's Roadmesh, double-twist wire, reinforcing mesh as part of bituminous asphalt overlay.

Roadmesh is intended for installation within the bituminous layers of the pavement. In remedial overlays the old wearing course is usually planed off and the Roadmesh placed on the exposed surface, then overlayed with a new base course plus wearing course. Roadmesh causes the overlay to work as a cohesive mass, absorbing the horizontal tensile stresses and spreading the imposed traffic loadings over a wider footprint, thus reducing its damaging effect.

On the A75 project, the reinforcement system was installed by Dumfries & Galloway [D&G] Council with Barr as the main Contractor. Since its installation in 1999, the road surface has performed as intended with no repeat of the wearing course damage, previously experienced.

(GK/JM)