Winter 1994 Waging war against potholes Potholes in the highway are a national problem, but a Mississippi State professor of microbiology, Dr. Lewis R. Brown, has an answer.
Asphalt breaks loose from the aggregate and powders due to microbial action.
In addition, if microorganisms are present in large numbers, they produce gas, causing blisters in the roadway. Under a state Highway Department grant, Brown determined that naturally occurring microorganisms secrete an emulsion that breaks the bond between asphalt and aggregate. Spraying a simple and inexpensive chemical, silane already used to waterproof concrete and some paints onto the aggregate creates a lasting bond. Brown also found that the addition of lime to the asphalt mix retards the microbial activity. Taxpayers and motorists in Mississippi will be happy to learn that the Highway Department is beginning to use silane in field tests.