Lesson 1Overview of asphalt pavement behavior and pothole formation mechanisms (fatigue, raveling, water infiltration)This lesson reviews tar road build and how vehicles, age, water make potholes, covering cracks from wear, loose bits, stripping, base fails, water issues so teams match fixes to root causes.
Asphalt layers and pavement structureFatigue cracking and pothole evolutionRaveling, oxidation, and surface wearWater infiltration and stripping damageBase, subgrade, and drainage problemsLesson 2Tools, equipment, and materials checklist (inventory of hand tools, saws, jackhammers, rakes, vibratory plate/rammer/roller, tack coats, hot or cold asphalt mixes, backer/aggregate, safety equipment)This lesson lists and explains must-have tools, gear, materials for pothole fixes, like cutters, packers, stick sprays, hot cold mixes, stones, safety kit, with checks, store, ready tips.
Hand tools for cutting and cleaningSaws, breakers, and coring equipmentCompaction plates, rammers, and rollersTack coats, mixes, and aggregate typesSafety gear and traffic control devicesLesson 3Compaction techniques and acceptance criteria (layers, target density, visual and simple tests)This lesson covers right packing for tar patches, lift thick, pass count, gear pick, pack goal, joint care, easy site tests to check patch strong and cut future breaks.
Lift thickness and compaction sequenceSelecting rollers, plates, or rammersRolling patterns and number of passesChecking density with simple field testsVisual signs of under or over compactionLesson 4Step-by-step semi-permanent asphalt pothole repair: cutting and shaping, cleaning, drying, tack application, material selection, placement, compaction, edge finishingThis lesson gives full site steps for half-permanent pothole fix, marking spot, cut shape, clean dry, stick coat, mix pick, place layers, pack, edge seal, last checks.
Marking and squaring patch boundariesCutting, trimming, and shaping the holeCleaning, drying, and moisture controlTack coat type, rate, and applicationMix placement, lift thickness, and levelingLesson 5Selection of repair strategy: temporary vs permanent, throw-and-roll, semi-permanent, full-depth patching—criteria for choiceThis lesson compares quick and lasting pothole fixes, throw-roll, half-permanent, full-deep patch, how road state, traffic, weather, means pick best way.
When to use temporary emergency patchesCriteria for semi-permanent patch selectionWhen full-depth patching is requiredTraffic level and safety considerationsBudget, crew, and equipment constraintsLesson 6Effect of weather and traffic on method selection and timing (temperature limits for hot mix, rain mitigation, curing time, night vs day work)This lesson looks at heat, wet, traffic load on fix time and pick, hot mix heat limits, rain freeze risks, cure needs, lane close times, night day work.
Temperature limits for hot and cold mixesRain, snow, and surface moisture risksCuring time before opening to trafficNight versus daytime work trade-offsSeasonal planning for patch programsLesson 7Maintenance recordkeeping for patch performance (date, mix, crew, weather, observed defects on follow-up inspections)This lesson teaches noting patch work to track over time, dates, spots, materials, teams, weather, check-ups, to better ways and back upkeep funds.
Standard patch report form fieldsDocumenting mix type and sourceRecording crew, equipment, and hoursWeather and site condition recordsScheduling and logging follow-up visits
