Road maintenance specialist Tarstone, headquartered near Nevan in County Meath in Ireland, is now a distributor and contractor for Thermal Road Repairs’ technology across the whole of Ireland.
Thermal Road Repairs’ (TRR) pothole and defect repair system is a perfect fit for Tarstone, says managing director Ernie Lynch, who took the helm at Tarstone in 1998.
“Tarstone have always put innovation at the forefront of its plans and, as a company, we are particularly conscious and aware of our impact on the environment,” says Lynch. “Our customers also are demanding more sustainable, renewable solutions and Tarstone has been proactive within the Irish market in terms of offering and providing new, ‘greener’ solutions that consider waste, emissions, and the circular economy.”
Because TRR’s technology heats up existing material in and around a pothole or defect, adding a small amount of virgin asphalt, it emits 85% less carbon than a traditional fix with no waste to be taken off site. The patented, controlled heating process also means that the new and old material, when mixed and compacted, becomes one, leaving no joints or weak spots.
“We view TRR technology as a massive step forward in the road repair market, not just because of its environmental credentials, but also because it provides a high quality, fast, efficient, permanent solution to a common problem,” says Cathal Fahy, Tarstone’s general and technical manager.
Tarstone approached TRR about using its technology after hearing about it through work-related contacts in mainland UK and Europe, says Lynch: “We looked at several suppliers and when TRR was brought to our attention, we felt they had the best equipment and most sustainable offering on the market, so we approached the company directly and arranged a meeting in the UK offices.”
“We are really happy to be working with Tarstone, not least because they have a similar ethos and approach to us,” says TRR director Aidan Conway. “It was also encouraging that they approached us, having weighed up what is out there in the market.”
Tarstone has already conducted some trials with the TRR equipment in Dublin and near Enniskerry for Wicklow County Council, with works carried out during the daytime and at night. “Currently, we are introducing TRR technology to our existing clients in the public and private sectors. We plan to use this technology to extend our reach within these sectors and to gain new clients in the few areas where we currently don’t operate,” says Tarstone’s head of marketing and business development Sue Eakin.
Though it’s early days for TRR technology over in Ireland, responses from Tarstone’s customers so far have been encouraging, says Eakin: “Feedback has been very positive, and we expect to introduce and trial with more clients in the coming months. Clients clearly see the benefits and when they realise how cost effective this technology is and that it meets their environmental responsibilities, we expect a greater take-up.”
Thermal Road Repairs is a green technology company which supplies systems to improve the quality, cost and time efficiency of road repairs and paving – at a far lower environmental cost than traditional methods. It invests significantly in R&D, to create new technologies and to continuously improve existing ones.
Thermal Road Repairs: Decarbonising the asphalt repair industry.
High output. Zero emission. Zero waste. Permanent solution.