World Insights Bringing You best of world at one placeA pothole is a type of disruption in the surface of a roadway where a portion of the road material has broken away, leaving a hole.
Most potholes are formed as a result of fatigue of the road surface. As fatigue fractures develop, they typically create a pattern known as crocodile cracking. The chunks of pavement between the fatigue cracks gradually work loose, and may eventually be plucked or forced out of the surface by continued wheel loads; this represents the beginnings of a pothole.
The formation of potholes is exacerbated by temperatures below the freezing-point of water. This is because water expands when it turns into ice, which in turn causes additional forces to be exerted on an already-cracked area of pavement or road. Once a pothole forms, it continues to grows as broken chunks of pavement become detached from the surrounding surface. The rate of deterioration tends to accelerate when a pothole fills with water, and components of the road surface are scoured loose as passing vehicles disturb the pothole and its contents. In temperate climates, potholes tend to form most often during rainy spring months, when the subgrade has been weakened by the presence of excessive water and consequent sinkholes. Leaking sewer or water pipes may also have contributed to the washing away of the supporting bed of soil or rock on which the road has been laid, in addition to any direct damage to the below-ground structure of the road itself. However, potholes are common throughout the world, including in the tropics or other regions where frost typically does not occur.
Potholes can grow to several feet in width, though they usually only develop to depths of a few inches. If they become large enough, damage to tires and vehicle suspensions is liable to occur. Serious road accidents can occur as a direct result, especially on motorways, where vehicle speeds are greater. Potholes are frequently almost invisible to road users from a distance.wikipedia
