PRE FIX

Date: Sept. 14th, 2007 – Friday

Time: 9:00pm

Meetup Location: Adyar Bus Depot

Prefix will involve

a. Organization of materials

A group us will organize the raw materials and tools. They will be ready in a tempo that will be float around for materials where the I-fixers meet.

b. Divide the gathered into groups

Each group should involve people who can work on 14^th night and the following morning. It would be great if the new comers get a chance to get their hands dirty on 14^th night!

c. MOST IMPORTANT- In case our Rain God decide to pay us a visit tonight! We will have a good cup of coffee and meet tomorrow at the same place to carry our mission.

TO FIX

14^th 10.00pm – 2.00 pm Anna Street, Tiruvanmiyur

We will carry our work at the respective roads from 10.00pm onwards till 2.00am

Within this 4 hrs our target for this campaign to fix a moderate 25 pot holes.

Procedure to FIX

Undoubtedly to fix pot holes using Asphalt (tar) is the best solution, but it needs experts to do that job and to do it our selves is a cumbersome and expensive process. We are talking to consultants and experts who are working on their way so that we, I fixers, at some point could use them for their DIY (Do-it-yourself) initiative.

Alternatively to use concrete (cement and aggregate mix) is our current solution for its definitely cheaper and a manageable task to fill pot holes. Following is a list of instructions termed as 4P’s for you to make sure you get everything right when you’re on the road fixing pot holes.

P1- Preparation of Concrete (Cement Aggregate Mix)

1. To make things simple we will have DRY Cement Aggregate mix. (MIX DETAILS: it’s a mix of cement, sand and stones at a particular ratio normally its 1:3:5 to add more cement helps in accelerating the setting time) in plastic bags
2. Take required quantity of this dry cement aggregate to fix a hole that you have identified.
3. Slowly add water so this dry mix. It’s a must that you achieve the right consistency. A good mix should neither have more water nor less (Imagine it to be an adhesive paste that is waiting to stick to a surface )
4. Keep this ready to be poured/applied on the pot holes

P2 - Preparation of pot hole

1. Clean the pot hole with a brush/broom, so that no particles/impurities are in it. This is necessary so that the binding between the asphalt road and concrete is achieved.
2. Sprinkle water on the surface and keep it ready for the concrete to be poured

P3- Pouring the concrete

1.      Sprinkle dry cement powder in areas where ever required.(this is done because once you pour the concrete the water will start settling to the bottom and the sprinkled concrete will absorb it)

2.      Pour the concrete mix that is ready.

3.      Ram it well and Use your trowel to make sure the aggregate and sand mix is is spread all over.

4.      sprinkle some more cement on top so that it increases the setting of cement

P4- Precautions for making sure the cement concrete sets well

1. Since we are doing this on road we need to ensure that traffic is not hindered. The simplest method is to ensure all work happens on one side of the road and the other is free for traffic to move.
2. Use bricks or stones painted white and place them around the pothole so that it is untouched for at least 5-6hrs. This time allows the concrete to set. Any disturbance at this time will not allow for binding of raw materials that means concrete will wither away as cars and motorists drive on top.
3. Setting time is sacrosanct for concrete so this process cannot be done during rains.

It would be ideal to divide your group into 4 so that each one can take care of a P

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POST FIX

15^th 10.00pm – 2.00 pm Anna Street, Tiruvanmiyur

This is as important as the work we did on the previous night. Our aim is not to keep fixing things forever (though we love it!) but to ensure there is a meaningful and sustainable out come for our actions. So we hope to carry our work to the next day morning.

1. This will start by removing the stones placed around the potholes
2. Sprinkle some water to cure it (this is done to concrete so that it does not crack)
3. This is the best time to talk to people and tell them what we have done and it will be their responsibility to take care of their roads and surrounding form then on.
4. We have prepared a small flyer with list of phone nos, which they should call if some one digs open their road, cut their trees on their road side or left the garbage over flowing.  This is an attempt to disseminate information and hope that it will involve the locals.