INDIANAPOLIS — As frigid temperatures and extended periods of precipitation continue to contribute to street deterioration, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) is soon planning to deploy two new infrared P200 asphalt heaters by Heat Design Equipment, Inc., capable of raising pavement surface temperatures such that asphalt can be easily worked and re-compacted to repair crumbling road segments.
Indy DPW expects to complete final testing of the infrared heaters soon, with the new equipment out on Indy’s roadways in the next few weeks as weather allows.
When pavement is dry, each infrared heater will be able to raise full sections of deteriorated asphalt to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing crews to rake over and smooth out cracks and holes before workers tamp down the newly restored street surface. At 3 feet wide, the infrared heater is set on casters so it can be pulled behind a truck, super-heating long segments of pocked pavement to be re-compacted and smoothed.
Fewer cracks throughout an entire stretch of roadway better seals the road against the deterioration that comes when precipitation seeps into asphalt and then freezes.
The new heating process will be most effective when hot-mix asphalt is available to add additional material as necessary to level out a roadway. DPW anticipates hot-mix asphalt may be available from asphalt plants near the end of February or beginning of March, as longer periods of dry weather allow.
Idianapolis residents are encouraged to identify potholes and other street maintenance issues to Indy DPW by reporting them via either the Mayor’s Action Center hotline or via the City’s online tools. To report a pothole, call 317-327-4622 or visit RequestIndy.