Patching is the process of filling potholes or excavated areas in the asphalt pavement. Quick repair of potholes or other pavement disintegration helps control further deterioration and expensive repair of the pavement. Without timely patching, water can enter the sub-grade and cause larger and more serious pavement failures.
A full-depth or deep patch is considered a permanent repair, while a thin surface patch or a “throw and go” pothole repair is usually temporary. Materials for patching include hot mix asphalt, asphalt emulsion mixes, stockpile patching mixes, and proprietary patching mixes with special blends of aggregate and modified binders.
Full-depth patching is the removal of the entire pavement surface layer, regardless of its thickness, over the patching area. Deep patching is the removal of four inches or more of the pavement surface course. Full-depth patching applies to either asphalt or concrete pavements, but deep patching applies only to asphalt pavements.
