Because they carry more concentrated traffic, city streets are more troublesome to maintain than highways. Increased stopping and starting, manholes and other obstacles add to the problems. In addition, pipes and cables run below city streets creating further complications.

Cracks in asphalt must be sealed to prevent water penetrating the subbase. The new MacPave manhole membrane does function to prevent wheel pressure on the side of the manhole and cracks around the manhole. Previously, roadway around the manhole often sank, and other deformation and bumps occurred around the manhole. In cold countries, these problems are magnified by permafrost which damages both the well and the pipes resulting in expensive repairs.



Heavy de-icing on city streets causes rapid damage to asphalt surfaces, since salt penetrates the bitumen again, adding to the maintenance costs.

MacPave greatly reduces the above problems by preventing water and salt from reaching the subbase and can increase the lifetime of a city street three to four times. The slightly higher initial installation cost is more than offset in the second year by lowered maintenance costs.