This repair material consists of aggregate mixed with cutback asphalt or asphalt emulsions that keep the mix pliable without heating. Crews shovel it directly from bags or buckets into a pothole and compact it with hand tools or a truck tire. It is primarily a stopgap measure used during winter months or wet weather when hot mix plants are closed or conditions prevent proper paving.
Grab a few bags of cold patch from the yard so we can fill that blowout on Main Street before rush hour.
Cold patch relies on evaporation and pressure to set up, so it often remains soft for days and will eventually shove or rut out of the hole under heavy traffic.
Also heard as
- cold mix
Do not mix it up with
- Hot patch: Cold patch is a temporary fix applied at ambient temperature, while hot patch uses heated plant mix for a permanent repair.
Related terms
Pothole
A bowl-shaped hole through the pavement surface where pieces of asphalt have broken out.
Throw and roll
The quick pothole fix of shoveling patch mix into a hole and compacting it with the truck's tires.
Hot patch
A permanent pavement repair made by filling a prepared hole with heated asphalt mix directly from a plant.