Keeping roads safe and resilient requires a more complex solution than merely using asphalt and elbow grease. Behind every smooth commute is a fleet of specialised machines that diagnose, repair and preserve our carriageways with speed and precision.

From survey tools to pavers, each piece of kit has a job to do. Choosing the right equipment at the right moment reduces disruption, boosts quality and supports lower carbon delivery. Our equipment utilises modern technologies and cutting-edge innovation to trim lead times on projects, and minimise risks around health & safety.

In this blog we will explore the different types of road maintenance equipment, what each one does and when to use it, in order to plan works with confidence and get the best results from every programme.

What road repair equipment do we use?

Milling machine

The start of any new road, path or car park surface project will see a milling machine used to remove and grind down the work surface, through the use of a large rotating drum. This is done to prepare for new asphalt or concrete layers to be placed on the surface, bringing the old, excess material onto the machine’s conveyor belt before it is deposited into a truck for recycling or resurfacing.

On top of this, our milling machines can also create rumble strips on highways, and remove distress on the road surface, meaning it can be used for longer and provide a generally smoother driving experience when using the newly constructed road.

We also use milling machines to recycle old pavement and road surfaces, and use the material as aggregate for the surface that will replace it. This is part of our sustainable way of working, and it has proven to be cost-effective as well as environmentally-friendly, as we give the old surface a new lease of life rather than throwing it away at the milling stage.

Industrial sweeper

Once the old road surface has been planed, we will use an industrial sweeper to pick up any loose debris and prepare the new surface to be laid. They are vital pieces of equipment to keep sites clean and safe throughout the project, using rotating brushes to sweep debris and waste into a container. They also remove the need for manual sweeping and therefore reduce time on a job, allowing the actual construction elements of our projects to take priority.

Paving machine

Laying new asphalt is done via a paving machine, which comes into action once the sub-base has been laid. Hot asphalt passes through the machine and is then laid to the correct thickness required for whatever surface you are working on. Our pavers can work on a wide variety of surfaces and are used for surface laying on roads, car parks and more to compact the asphalt concrete into place and create the base for your new surface.

Road roller

Probably one of the more commonly seen pieces of road maintenance equipment we use is the road roller, which might seem self-explanatory, but has a crucial job in our overall operations. 

Our road roller compacts the new asphalt into a smooth and even surface, which then takes on the form of a newly laid road, car park or industrial yard. This process prevents damage to any vehicles driving on the new surface, and must be done promptly after the surface has been laid so as not to lose the hot temperature of the material. Failure to do this will result in a bumpy, uneven surface as colder materials do not compact together as smoothly as hot asphalt can.

Of course, with cold-lay foamed bitumen alternatives to asphalt, including our recycled Foambase material, this isn’t a problem, although every surface has to be laid with care.

3D laser scanner

Adopting modern technology has enabled projects to become more automated and efficient, and our 3D laser scanning equipment is a testament to that. They create accurate, precise data at pace to provide coordinates of surfaces within a certain radius of where the laser scanner is used. The device then calculates the exact distance between itself and the surface it has recognised, and builds a three-dimensional map of the surroundings. It is particularly handy to create even surfaces on civil engineering projects like car parks, or to navigate structures where the surface isn’t at one, consistent level.

Get in touch today

As a leading civil engineering contractor with experience working all over the UK, Minster Group’s award-winning services have been utilised on projects for multiple local authorities, national developers and retailers.

To find out more or to explore how we can service your civil engineering needs, get in touch today!