It’s a common gripe – as soon as we finish a new road surface it won’t be long before someone digs a hole in it for further ‘improvements’, storing up issues far greater than the irritation of disgruntled engineers.

The biggest enemy to the structure of a road is water and, unfortunately, joints at reinstatements provide an easy route for moisture to creep in and compromise the durability of a road surface. The current specification for highway works (SHW) requires the faces of the surfacing to be painted - which is adequate protection against moisture if completed to a high standard - but a much more reliable and long-term solution to water ingress is overbanding.

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