Customer: Tipperary County Council
Roadmaster fleet: 9 machines
Interviewee: Pat Fitzgerald, Machinery Yard Supervisor
The challenge: escaping the repeat-repair cycle
For local authorities with a large number of roads to maintain, conventional pothole repair can create an expensive cycle: repair a defect, return to it, then return again. Tipperary County Council wanted a more reliable solution that could help the team get ahead of maintenance demand rather than continuously catch up.
The approach: consistent application and preventative work
Tipperary operates nine Roadmasters. The council uses the machines for pothole repairs, and also three to four weeks before surface dressing to build up edges and treat raw patches. A trained operator can use the machine’s controlled material application to match the repair to the defect rather than relying on a less consistent manual process.
The outcome: fewer revisits and a more capable programme
- Repair once: The council reports that a Roadmaster repair can avoid the three or four repeat visits associated with conventional filling.
- Better consistency: Controlled material application helps trained operators use the appropriate amount of material for the repair.
- Wider use: The same machine supports both pothole repairs and preparation before surface dressing.
- Safer operation: The work is performed from the truck cab; a second person may still be used for traffic management on busier roads.
“We see and experience the difference. We’re not going back to refill.”
Pat Fitzgerald, Machinery Yard Supervisor, Tipperary County Council
Why training matters
Tipperary’s experience underlines that technology and operator capability go together. The council values OEM familiarisation, refresher training and workshops because the machine delivers the best result when it is operated and maintained correctly.
Could this work for your network?
Talk to the Roadmaster team about a spray injection patching programme designed around your network, budget and maintenance priorities.