Damaged Paths and Roads Following Heavy Rain and Storms
Heavy rain, severe weather, and intense precipitation often cause significant damage to forest roads, farm roads, rural roads, alpine trails, and municipal access roads.
Water washes fine material out of the roadway, carves gullies into the surface, and causes potholes, ruts, and unstable shoulders.
If this damage is left untreated, the condition of the road deteriorates with each subsequent vehicle passage. Water penetrates deeper into the road structure, the load-bearing capacity decreases, and minor damage can lead to costly repairs.
PTH offers not only individual machines for this purpose, but a fully integrated road construction system—from breaking up the damaged pavement to the final compaction.
However, PTH machines can also be used individually for repairs, rehabilitation, or as a complete system for the full reconstruction (major rehabilitation) of roads and paths.
Why Heavy Rain Causes Such Severe Damage to Paths and Roads
Unpaved roads are particularly vulnerable to large amounts of water.
If there is insufficient cross-slope or if the shoulders are too high, rainwater cannot drain away properly.
Instead, it flows lengthwise across the roadway, accumulates in ruts, or seeps into potholes. In the process, fine material is washed out of the surface course. Coarser stones remain behind, while softer areas gradually lose their load-bearing capacity.
Typical damage caused by heavy rain and severe weather includes:
- deep gullies,
- Ruts and potholes,
- exposed stones,
- eroded road shoulders,
- damaged shoulders,
- standing water,
- softened substrates,
- Limited accessibility.
A purely superficial repair is often not enough. If new material is simply packed into a pothole without tearing up the damaged area and rebuilding it, the damage often becomes visible again after a short time.
PTH has the solution for damaged roads and paths
Not every instance of storm damage requires immediate, complete road repair. For superficial erosion, ruts, and potholes, the PTH Front Grader with Optional Ripper Bar A quick and cost-effective solution.
However, sustainable road rehabilitation consists of several coordinated steps:
- break up damaged and compacted layers,
- mill, crush, and mix the existing material,
- Restore curbs and drainage channels,
- Profile the roadway and create a cross-slope,
- Compact the material properly.
It is precisely this process chain that is covered by the PTH road construction system from.
Instead of temporarily patching up individual areas of damage, existing material is professionally processed, strategically distributed, and permanently stabilized. This reduces costs, minimizes the need for transportation, and extends the service life of the paths.
Most of the existing road construction material remains on site. Instead of hauling away large quantities of gravel and replacing it with new material, the existing material is processed and reused.
This reduces:
- Cost of materials,
- Shipping costs,
- Machine hours,
- Personnel expenses,
- Landfill and disposal costs.
At the same time, the service life of forest roads, farm roads, and utility roads is significantly extended.
The PTH road construction system
The PTH Road Construction System integrates all key steps in the process:
PTH Ripper
Breaking Up and Loosening
PTH Crusher
Grinding, Crushing, and Mixing
PTH shoulder milling machine
Edit the curbs separately and install a drainage system
PTH Front Grader with Optional Ripper Bar
Cut potholes, spread material, and shape the surface with precision
PTH Rear Grader (alternative)
Compact and Cost-Effective Profiling
PTH Compactor
Compact and Stabilize
The result is a comprehensive solution for the rehabilitation and maintenance of forest roads, forest trails, farm roads, utility roads, alpine trails, shoulders, and municipal access roads.
PTH Ripper – Breaking Up and Loosening Hard Layers
The PTH Ripper This is the first step for heavily compacted or severely damaged paths.
It breaks up hard layers of road surface, loosens the subgrade, and dislodges large stones from the roadway. Thanks to the special kinematics of the tines, stones are twisted out of the ground without placing unnecessary strain on the machine under heavy loads.
The PTH Ripper thus provides the ideal foundation for subsequent processing with a PTH Crusher.
The benefits:
- selectively open compacted layers,
- detect deeper damage,
- Loosen large rocks,
- Optimal preparation for material processing.
PTH Crusher – Processing Existing Material
The PTH Crusher and the more compact PTH Crusher CR15 They grind, crush, and mix the existing road construction material right on site.
Stones, coarse aggregates, and compacted layers are crushed and mixed with the existing fine material. This creates a homogeneous mixture that can then be reincorporated into the pavement.
The PTH Crusher CR15 is specifically designed for medium-sized tractors ranging from approximately 70 to 140 PS. It has a working width of 1,500 millimeters and reaches working depths of up to 230 millimeters. Its robust construction, carbide-tipped tools, and replaceable HARDOX internal armor allow it to be used even in challenging, rocky terrain.
The benefits:
- reuse existing path construction materials,
- crush large rocks and coarse materials,
- Mix the fine and coarse materials thoroughly,
- Significantly reduce the purchase of gravel,
- Avoid transportation and landfill costs,
- Create a stable foundation for the new roadway.
PTH Front Grader – Tearing, Spreading, and Precise Profiling
The PTH Grader Front is responsible for the precise shaping of the roadway.
The grader blade is used to distribute the processed material evenly, smooth the road surface, and create the necessary cross-slope. This allows rainwater to drain in a controlled manner toward the edges of the road.
One particular advantage is the optionally available Tear bar. Their sturdy teeth break up hardened sections of the road and expose potholes, ruts, and hard bumps.
This loosens the existing material, making it easier to spread with the grader blade afterward. The result is not just a superficial repair, but a more stable bond between the existing material and the newly graded material.
The front-mount design also provides the driver with an optimal view of:
- Tear-off rail,
- Grader blade,
- Material flow,
- Road profile.
The benefits:
- Targeted removal of potholes and ruts,
- loosen hardened surfaces,
- mobilize existing resources,
- Precise road surface profiling,
- Establish the cross-slope and water flow,
- Perfect preparation for compaction.
PTH Rear Grader – A Compact Solution for Smaller Tractors
The PTH Grader rear is the cost-effective and agile solution for small and medium-sized tractors.
Starting at around 60 PS, paths can be professionally graded and existing material can be distributed precisely.
The benefits:
- use existing tractors efficiently,
- Maintain paths regularly and cost-effectively,
- Smooth out bumps and ruts,
- establish proper lateral tilt,
- Build up the road surface evenly.
PTH Compactor – Powerful and Sustainable Compaction
After preparation and grading, the material must be properly compacted.
The PTH Compactor completes the reclamation process. The high-performance plate compactor ensures that the individual grain sizes interlock optimally and that voids are reduced.
This increases the pavement's load-bearing capacity and makes it harder for water to penetrate the structure.
The hydraulic side shift allows for precise operation along road edges and even on difficult terrain.
The benefits:
- higher load capacity,
- a more stable road surface,
- lower water absorption,
- less rutting,
- longer maintenance intervals,
- Long-term preservation of the trail's value.
PTH Shoulder Milling Machine – Controlled Water Drainage
Damaged or overgrown shoulders are a common cause of recurring road damage. If water cannot drain off to the sides, it remains on the roadway or runs along the road, causing new washouts.
The PTH shoulder milling machine Processes road shoulders and roadside areas directly along the road. Rocks, soil, vegetation, and roots are collected, crushed, and distributed in a controlled manner.
All key functions can be controlled hydraulically from the carrier vehicle.
The benefits:
- Lower and shape the side panels,
- Restore water drainage,
- Repair road shoulders,
- Prevent scouring,
- Take targeted measures to prevent future damage from heavy rainfall.
PTH Road Construction System: Efficient, Sustainable, and Cost-Effective
PTH views road construction as a comprehensive system.
Instead of temporarily patching up individual areas of damage, existing material is professionally processed, strategically distributed, and permanently stabilized. This reduces costs, minimizes the need for transportation, and extends the service life of the paths.
For municipalities, road maintenance agencies, forestry operations, farmers, machinery cooperatives, and construction and earthwork companies, this means:
- less new gravel,
- lower transportation costs,
- shorter work hours,
- improved water flow,
- more stable road surfaces,
- Sustainable trail maintenance.
PTH is the solution for professional road construction and efficient road repair following heavy rain and storm damage—developed and manufactured in Austria.