Highways Maintenance - Asset Management

Derby City Council apply an adopted Asset Management approach, targeting the right treatment, at the right location, at the right time. This innovative approach to maintenance allows us to maximise on our annual budgets, whilst prioritising urgent maintenance needs across the City.

Our decisions are made on a risk-based approach, and in line with national guidance, the ‘Well Managed Highway Infrastructure' Code of Practice, published by the UK Roads Liaison Groups, alongside the Department for Transport.

We are carrying out large programmes of preventative maintenance with the aim of adding residual life back into the roads. By sealing the existing surface, we are able to prevent water ingress, which is the biggest contributor to surface deterioration, which in turn prevents potholes from forming. Prevention really is the cure!

Alongside our preventive programmes we have our planned maintenance works, which includes conventional resurfacing and reconstruction. We are working with our suppliers to deliver more sustainable projects, including introducing more warm-mixed asphalts which are produced at lower temperatures leading to less energy consumption, reduced carbon emissions and a more comfortable environment for our workers.

Some of the recent examples of the schemes we have carried out in the last 6-12 months include:

We have a large armoury of treatment types available to us, and each location is assed individually in line with condition data that we collate from our annual engineering surveys, which are carried out by accredited engineers.

Some of the other key projects we aim to deliver this year include:

1. Darley Grove – Carriageway Resurfacing. Our contractor will be using a specially modified material, which is designed to resist deformation and surface cracking caused by tree roots
2. Moorway Lane – In-Situ Recycling. The process will involve pulverising the existing surface and recycling most of the material on-site. This will then receive a new surface layer to complete the scheme.
3. London Road – Carriageway Reconstruction. We will be renewing the section between Wisgreaves Road and Haig Street, using a modified binder to give added strength and longevity.
4. St Alkmunds Way – Carriageway Joint-Sealing. By sealing open joints at the optimum time, we are able to prevent them from turning into potholes, where a more costly repair is needed. Joint-Sealing is also a quick process minimising the disruption to road users.

Over the next few months, we will be putting some of our schemes forward for consultation on Let’s Talk Derby, and we welcome your feedback on the works we carry out. Please keep an eye out on the page!