The secret life of potholes
UC engineer puts pothole fixes to the test
It might not come as a surprise to drivers used to the shake, rattle and roll of storm-damaged roads, but not all pothole repairs are created equal.
Cleveland.com highlighted work by a University of Cincinnati engineering professor to find out just which solutions work best for winter-damaged roads.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Professor Munir Nazzal and his students spent the winter of 2021 following roads departments as they repaired 686 potholes in four cities across Ohio. Crews used nine different materials or combinations to fill them.
Researchers found that no single material worked best for every weather condition or road surface. And the cost of repairs can vary depending on the materials and methods used.
“You cannot control when it will snow, when it will freeze, you cannot control anything like that,” Nazzal told Cleveland.com. “What you can control is basically making sure that you’re putting the effort to select the right material and the right procedure.”
Nazzal is director of UC's Center for Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure.
Subsequently, he and his students have conducted related studies examining better ways to fix damaged roads. Often, the best repair is prevention — sealing road cracks to keep ice from heaving the surface.
Featured image at top: University of Cincinnati Professor Munir Nazzal studies the most effective ways to repair storm-damaged roads. Photo/kozmoat98/istockphoto
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Professor Munir Nazzal poses in the high-bay lab at UC's Digital Futures. He is director of UC's Center for Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Related Stories
UC, GE Aerospace celebrate Next Engineers grads
April 24, 2026
The University of Cincinnati played host in April to the graduation of this year’s class of the GE Aerospace Foundation’s Next Engineers, a global college- and career-readiness program that provides scholarship incentives for young people to become engineers.
UC hosts annual robotics competition for local students
April 24, 2026
Every year, the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering and Applied Science brings local middle and high school students to campus for the annual robotics competition. Students are given specific parameters to follow and tasks their robots must complete according to a designated competition theme. This year’s theme — autonomous wheelchairs — comes with a real-world perspective from event guest speaker Sarah Elam, a woman who uses a wheelchair and is a disability advocate.
Rain, steep slopes put NY community at risk of landslides, geologist warns
April 23, 2026
UC Associate Professor Dan Sturmer tells News10 that heavy rain combined with steep slopes is a recipe for landslides in one New York community.