{"slug": "could-geothermal-roads-help-prevent-potholes-before-they-form", "title": "Could geothermal roads help prevent potholes before they form?", "summary": "Researchers at the University of Surrey have launched a trial of a geothermal road system that uses underground heat to regulate pavement temperatures, aiming to prevent potholes and reduce maintenance costs. The system, installed in the Senate House car park on the Stag Hill campus, embeds heat exchange pipes beneath the road surface to store summer heat in a 100-metre-deep borehole and release it in winter, with the second phase starting in mid-August 2026. Funded by Dr Benyi Cao's Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship and supported by Surrey County Council's Lane Rental Scheme, the project will monitor road and air temperatures over several years.", "body_md": "# Could geothermal roads help prevent potholes before they form? Surrey trial aims to find out\n\nThe UK's pothole problem could one day be tackled from beneath the road surface, as researchers at the University of Surrey launch a pioneering trial that uses heat stored underground to keep roads cooler in summer, warmer in winter and less prone to damage.\n\nThe *Thermo-active Roads for Heat Harvesting and Pavement Temperature Regulation* project will test whether a ground-source heating and cooling system can regulate road temperatures throughout the year – helping roads better withstand increasingly extreme weather while reducing the carbon footprint of highway maintenance, improving safety and reducing the inconvenience of roadworks.\n\nThe system works by embedding a network of heat exchange pipes beneath the road surface, running through both the asphalt and the layers below. During summer, water circulating through the pipes absorbs heat from the asphalt and transfers it to a 100-metre-deep borehole, where it is stored underground. In winter, that heat is circulated back through the pipes to warm the road surface, helping to prevent ice from forming and reducing the freeze-thaw cycles that contribute to potholes.\n\nInstallation has already begun in the Senate House car park on the University's Stag Hill campus, with the first phase of the trial underway and the second phase starting in mid-August 2026. Once operational, researchers will monitor the system over a number of years using underground sensors to assess how effectively it regulates road temperatures.\n\nUnlike many emerging infrastructure technologies, Surrey’s project uses mature, readily available materials, including standard plastic pipework and water circulation pumps, making future deployment both practical and affordable.\n\nPrevious studies in Europe and the United States have explored similar concepts, but Surrey's project will provide detailed real-world evidence of how the technology performs in UK conditions.\n\nAs well as monitoring the road itself, the team will measure air temperatures above the test section to investigate whether cooler pavements could also reduce surrounding air temperatures during periods of extreme heat.\n\nThe project is funded through Dr Benyi Cao's Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship, with additional support from Surrey County Council's Lane Rental Scheme.\n\n**###**\n\n**Notes to editors **\n\n**Filming opportunities:** Journalists are invited to visit the trial site on 25–26 August 2026, while the ground is open and the heat-exchange pipes are installed. This will provide an opportunity to film the system before it is covered over. Please enquire if you would like to arrange a site visit.- A time-lapse video showing the construction and installation process will be available in early September.\n- Dr Benyi Cao is available for interview; please contact\n[mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk](mailto:mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk)to arrange. - Images are available upon request\n\n## Featured Academics\n\n## Media Contacts\n\nExternal Communications and PR team\n\nPhone: +44 (0)1483 684380 / 688914 / 684378\n\nEmail: [mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk](mailto:mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk)\n\nOut of hours: +44 (0)7773 479911", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/could-geothermal-roads-help-prevent-potholes-before-they-form", "canonical_source": "https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/could-geothermal-roads-help-prevent-potholes-they-form-surrey-trial-aims-find-out", "published_at": "2026-08-13 15:30:05+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-13 15:44:29.594908+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-research"], "entities": ["University of Surrey", "Dr Benyi Cao", "Royal Academy of Engineering", "Surrey County Council", "Senate House car park", "Stag Hill campus"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/could-geothermal-roads-help-prevent-potholes-before-they-form", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/could-geothermal-roads-help-prevent-potholes-before-they-form.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/could-geothermal-roads-help-prevent-potholes-before-they-form.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/could-geothermal-roads-help-prevent-potholes-before-they-form.jsonld"}}