WATCH ABOVE: Over the past couple of weeks potholes have spread like weeds in Edmonton. Margeaux Morin explains what causes the dreaded ruts.
TORONTO – We hate them. Every year we cringe as our cars fall into cavernous potholes. So what’s behind those awful, potentially car-destroying remnants of winter?
There are two key components to creating a pothole: water and cold.
During the winter, water enters cracks in the pavement and collects beneath the asphalt. And, just as the water in your ice cube expands as it freezes, so too does the water. This takes up more space and cracks and weakens the pavement, often pushing some of it upwards. It can also cause more cracks.
Then, either temperatures rise or salt is added to the mix, causing the ice to melt. This leaves an underground hole where the ice once was. As heavy cars travel over the weakened road, it pushes it downwards, creating the nasty pothole.
So is there anything we can do to avoid destroying our cars?
Here are a few tips:
