RESEARCH INTO TRENCH REINSTATEMENT MATERIALS

This paper reviews British Gas Corporation research into trench reinstatement. It starts by referring to studies of traffic loading on buried mains carried out in relation to the recent EEC directive to raise gross vehicle weights and maximum axle loads. One aspect arising from this early work was the lack of information on the performance characteristics of the old established, non-designed, urban roads containing reinstatements. The paper includes details of some initial field trials and simple pieces of equipment designed to assist with the collection of the necessary performance data. The limitations of some of the existing allowable reinstatement materials are discussed along with proposals for possible alternative novel materials. (Author/TRRL)