Set in stone: Concrete pavement patching extends life of Kansas roads

Bryant & Bryant Construction crew members use a concrete saw to score the pavement in a rectangular shape. 

By Donna Tollerton,

Public Affairs Manager, northcentral Kansas 

Concrete pavement patching plays a critical role in extending the life of our roads. A recent example of this type of project took place in Saline County on I-135.

The process starts with KDOT crews marking the areas that need to be patched by the contractor. This allows our crews to specify the amount of concrete needed and helps make sure all areas are patched.

A concrete saw is then brought in to score the pavement in the shape of a rectangle. This shape is important because the patches are rectangular for ease of constructability, requiring less manual labor. They generally last for about seven to 10 years. 

Crews patch concrete to extend the life of the road surface. 

After the concrete saw carves out the shape, a milling machine is used to break up the existing concrete. This process is completed by hand with jack hammers because the machine can't cut square corners. After this process is finished, the concrete is then poured in place.

Remember, if you see highway workers to slow down, move over and give them room to work. 

A handheld jackhammer is able to reach the sharp corners of the shape.