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It's a lab experiment on a tiny crack. There is as far as the article goes zero real world data.

My understanding is that yes, in some circumstances this can help inhibit crack formation.

The place where it won't has to do with settlement, where the soil beneath the rose sinks unevenly. This is a major initiator of pothole formation. Road construction is tightly cost constrained, so this will come down to exact price.

> Are we really buying this?

No. I'd figure that most HNer's know The Guardian has a strong "optimistic fluff" bias, and some of us feel like venting our spleens about potholes and poorly-maintained roads.