Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) used asphalt Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) to repair 87 km out of 145 km of identified courses with high density in the city.
Loking M., the main engineer (Road Infrastructure), BBMP, said on Magadi Road, Mysuro Road, Old Maddras Road, Hal Airport Road and Kanakapura Road are currently underway.
“We have adopted problems with ripping and potholes along these sections in the revision. In places where we take it for milling and comparison at the level,” Loking said, adding that SMA is used for all these works. Some sections of the high density corridor were white and the work was only on others.
Milling concerns the removal of parts of the existing asphalt for reworking, while comparing the level involves an uniform re -designing asphalt.
Mr. Loksh explained that BBMP traditionally used micro-asphalting to repair road damage and maintain road quality, but this method has proved ineffective, especially in the corridors with high density. Therefore, the civic body has now changed to SMA, which, although more expensive, is considered much more effective in solving the problems of potholes.
“Mix SMA contains more proteins and fibers such as cellulose and mineral fibers that increase the power of the mixture. There is a much lower chance of developing asphalt cracks,” Lohesh said.
He also explained that the two main reasons for the Bengaluru Potholes were floods and frequent road digging for development work. High density corridors also face the added disadvantage of the heavy movement of vehicles.
SMA basically prevents water from penetrating the asphalt because of its lower tendency to rupture and fibrous composition, according to Mr. Loksha. This characteristic contributes to the durability of the surface by increasing its structural integrity. However, it costs higher than conventional asphalt.
“Usually, the design time (estimated lifetime) is five to six years, but there are examples that last much longer. For example, KG Road in the central Bengaluru has been asphalted nine years ago and has remained undamaged since then,” Hindu said.
Mn Sreehari, an expert in transport and infrastructure, also repeated the efficiency of SMA. “Previously, BBMP used asfalling, whose quality of binding would be bad, which would lead to frequent road damage. On the other hand, SMA will have, although costly, and to some extent heat, and to some extent, he said, and to some extent heat,” he told the Hindu.
While the BBMP first used SMA in 2016 on KG Road, only a few roads were then asphalted using this technique. Mr. Loket, who originally piloted SMA in Bengalur, plans to implement this technique in more detail as the main engineer of road infrastructure. It intends to expand its application to radial roads.
Published – 3rd August 2025 17:34
