In November 2012, the junction between Sandy Lane and its continuation (The Pavement) was properly 're-surfaced', actually taking off the old tarmac and relaying. I was quite impressed by the massive Cold Milling Machine used in this process, which I described in the post here. The surface on this section of road has lasted quite well.
In May 2020, temporary road signs indicated that road works were to be carried out and on the afternoon of Monday, 18th May 19th May, there was activity in the afternoon as 'surface dressing' was carried out on Sandy Lane, from a starting-point beyond the junction re-surfaced in 2012 (which was left untouched) up to the village square. 'Surface dressing' is claimed to be a cost-effective way of restoring the road surface, sealing it and improving skid resistance. If you are interested, I found an interesting video by Dumfries and Galloway Council here which shows the whole process (including an ingenious method of confirming that the specified thickness of bitumen had been applied).
I viewed some of the proceedings from my garden and took a few pictures. There were a number of large vehicles, all painted canary yellow and carrying the logo 'RMS' in red, together with a number of workers, all wearing orange overalls with white 'hard hats'.
L-R: Chipping spreader, 8-wheel lorry with road chippings, road roller (Brewood Village: Road re-surfacing)
The contractors were Road Maintenance Services Limited, apparently in partnership with Staffordshire County Council and Amey. Road Maintenance Services Limited were set-up in 1947 by the Barlow family and remain family-owned. Their website is here and they claim to be 'innovators in surface treatments'. They are members of The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA), which was set up in 2008 and has its own website here.
A large, articulated tanker was marked as carrying 'Bitumen Emulsion'. This had a platform at the back for an operator to control machinery clearly provided to apply bitumen to the road being treated. A little internet research revealed that the manufacturers were a French company called Acmar, founded in 1946. Their English website is here and this type of vehicle is usually called a Bitumen Sprayer.
Articulated Bitumen Sprayer made by Acmar, showing adjustable spray bars and operator's platform (Brewood Village: Road re-surfacing)
There were two unfamiliar-looking four-wheeled rubber-tyred vehicles whose function seemed fairly clear. Chippings in a low-level hopper at the rear of the vehicle were transferred via an inclined conveyor to a second, smaller hopper behind the driving cab. The second hopper was then provided with a discharge mechanism to drop chippings onto the hot bitumen applied to the road surface by a Bitumen Sprayer. Following a bit more internet research later, I discovered the vehicles were called Chipping Spreaders. They were made by The Phoenix Engineering Co Ltd in Chard (website here). The machines appeared to be model MK7, now superceded by similar, later models but still available second hand. This company was originally formed in 1891 by a group of Londoners who acquired the Phoenix Iron Foundry which had traded since 1839. In 1891 Thomas John Jennings was company secretary and his descendants still manage the company.
Phoenix MK7 Chipping Spreader (Brewood Village: Road re-surfacing)
A little more research showed that what I call a 'road roller' was, more correctly, a 'VM75 Single Drum Soil Compactor' from the JCB 'Vibromax' range. Although the VM75 isn't manufactured now, there still seems to be a healthy second-hand market. One end of the machine is supported on the familiar wide drum but the other end is supported on two large, rubber-tyred wheels.
JCB VM75 Single Drum Soil Compactor (Brewood Village: Road re-surfacing)
By the time I observed the proceedings from my garden, they had already re-surfaced the downhill side of the road, so I watched as they treated the uphill side. First, the Bitumen Sprayer drove slowly uphill, laying down a ribbon of hot bitumen alongside the completed downhill strip.
Bitumen Sprayer at work (Brewood Village: Road re-surfacing)
One of the Chipping Spreaders lined up and one of the 8-wheel lorries was backed up to the rear of the Chipping spreader and coupled to it, allowing the low-level hopper on the Chipping Spreader to be continuously replenished from the lorry. The odd-looking combination then carefully followed the Bitumen Sprayer, laying down an even layer of small, grey chippings.
Chipping Spreader about to follow the Bitumen Sprayer (Brewood Village: Road re-surfacing)
The second Chipping Spreader appeared and waited as the second 8-wheel lorry of chippings was handsignalled to reverse up to the Chipping Spreader, after which these two vehicles slowly followed the first two.
Second lorry handsignalled towards the second Chipping Spreader (Brewood Village: Road re-surfacing)
Finally, the 'VM75' Road Roller slowly followed the other vehicles. I didn't stop to watch it performing but I'd found the whole operation very interesting.
My Pictures
Brewood Village: Road re-surfacing
