Slow Down Please

Probably not what you would be expecting to read on our website, but please do read, especially if you are visiting our Harefield site. The track along to the Sailing Club is not great and with current weather conditions, it is getting worse and more difficult to maintain.

Have you ever wondered why the pot-holes on the road get bigger?

The simple is that people drive along the road too fast in wet and dry conditions. You and your car might be able to cope with being shaken about, but our poor road cannot handle the battering from speeding cars and vans. So please SLOW DOWN.

The Goldilocks Scenario

The dynamics of erosion are quite interesting. The best conditions for the road are when it is damp, but not wet. In these conditions thin films of water are able to cover the small sand and clay particles that form part of the road matrix. These thin films will link all of the particles together so forming a continuous solid. Any larger stones get trapped in the matrix and everything stays in place.

Too Dry

If the surface dries out then the small clay particles can be blown away, something that is enhanced by a fast moving vehicle. Think of the dust clouds you see behind you in summer. Then when it rains there is less material to form the matrix and puddles start to form.

Too Wet

Where we have puddles then the surrounding sand and clay matrix is fully saturated with water. No longer do we have those thin water films locking everything together. The small sand and clay particles can now float away and form muddy water. Any stones near the surface can now be easily knocked out of the matrix. If the stone remains in the puddle then not much harm is done. However a speeding vehicle can scatter the stones and splash the muddy water way. This makes the puddle a little bit deeper every time this happens. The result over time is large pot holes. Obviously the heavier your vehicle or the faster you go the more damage you will do.

Get it just right whatever the conditions please

So the message is simple please SLOW DOWN in all conditions to protect our road. 10 mph is quite fast enough.

Published 12th December 2023