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PAVEMENTWIKI
SUPPLIERLOCATOR 13PavementDefectsand
EDUCATIONALGUIDES FailuresYouShouldKnow!
byBrettNeal,PavemanPro
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SealcoatingEquipment

MarketingYourBusiness Like 139

Asphalt
DISCUSSIONFORUMS

Business/Marketing
Withallthesnowandiceoverthelastweekonthe
eastcoastIthoughtitwouldbeanappropriatetime
Plant
AsphaltPaving tolookatsomeoftheidentifiablewaysasphaltis
adverselyaffectedbyweatherandother
Energy-saving
AsphaltSealcoating conditions.Afterall,correctlyidentifyingpavement Mobile Asphalt
problemsandtheircausesisattheheartofour
LineStriping
business.Belowwehaveidentifiedandpictured13 Plant
CrackSealing

InfraredRepair
specificdistresses/failuresanypavementcontractor
shouldbeabletoidentify.
Environment
UsedAsphaltEquipment Friendly.Ask
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AlligatorCracking

Alligatorcrackingisaloadassociatedstructuralfailure.Thefailurecanbeduetoweaknessinthesurface,
baseorsubgradeasurfaceorbasethatistoothinpoordrainageorthecombinationofallthree.Itoften
startsinthewheelpathaslongitudinalcrackingandendsupasalligatorcrackingafterseveredistress.

FIX:Becauseastructuralfailureistakingplacetheonlypossiblesolutiontoalligatoringistoperformafull
depthpatch.

BlockCracking

Blockcrackslooklikelargeinterconnectedrectangles(roughly).Blockcrackingisnotloadassociated,but
generallycausedbyshrinkageoftheasphaltpavementduetoaninabilityofasphaltbindertoexpandand
contractwithtemperaturecycles.ThiscanbebecausethemixwasmixedandplacedtoodryFineaggregate
mixwithlowpenetrationasphalt&absorptiveaggregatespoorchoiceofasphaltbinderinthemixdesignor
agingdriedoutasphalt.

FIX:Lessseverecracksmeasuring1/2inchorlesscanbesealedtopreventmoisturefromenteringintothe
subgrade.Moreseverecracksshouldbefixedbyremovingthecrackedpavementlayerandreplacingitwith
anoverlay.
anoverlay.

Longitudinal(Linear)Cracking

Longitudinalcrackingarecracksthatareparalleltothepavementscenterlineorlaydowndirection.These
canbearesultofbothpavementfatigue,reflectivecracking,and/orpoorjointconstruction.Jointsare
generallytheleastdenseareasofapavement.

FIX:Lessseverecracksmeasuring1/2inchorlesscanbesealedtopreventmoisturefromenteringintothe
subgrade.Moreseverecracksshouldbefixedbyremovingthecrackedpavementlayerandreplacingitwith
anoverlay.

TransverseCracking

Transversecracksaresinglecracksperpendiculartothepavement'scenterlineorlaydowndirection.
Transversecrackscanbecausedbyreflectivecracksfromanunderlyinglayer,dailytemperaturecycles,and
poorconstructionduetoimproperoperationofthepaver.

FIX:Lessseverecracksmeasuring1/2inchorlesscanbesealedtopreventmoisturefromenteringintothe
subgrade.Moreseverecracksshouldbefixedbyremovingthecrackedpavementlayerandreplacingitwith
anoverlay.

EdgeCracks

EdgeCrackstravelalongtheinsideedgeofapavementsurfacewithinoneortwofeet.Themostcommon
causeforthistypeofcrackispoordrainageconditionsandlackofsupportatthepavementedge.Asaresult
underlyingbasematerialssettleandbecomeweakened.Heavyvegetationalongthepavementedgeand
heavytrafficcanalsobetheinstigatorofedgecracking.

FIX:Thefirststepincorrectingtheproblemistoremoveanyexistingvegetationclosetotheedgeofthe
pavementandfixanydrainageproblems.Crackseal/fillthecrackstopreventfurtherdeteriorationorremove
andreconstructtofulldepthfixinganysupportissues.
JointReflectionCracks

Thesearecracksinaflexiblepavementoverlayofarigidpavement(i.e.,asphaltoverconcrete).Theyoccur
directlyovertheunderlyingrigidpavementjoints.Jointreflectioncrackingdoesnotincludereflectioncracks
thatoccurawayfromanunderlyingjointorfromanyothertypeofbase(e.g.,cementorlimestabilized).

FIX:Forlessseverecracks(lessthan1/2inch)cracksealingwillpreventthefurtherentryofmoistureintothe
subgrade.Ifthecracksaremoreseveretheremovalofthecrackedpavementlayerfollowedbyanoverlay
mayberequired.

SlippageCracks

Slippagecracksarecrescentshapedcracksortearsinthesurfacelayer(s)ofasphaltwherethenewmaterial
hasslippedovertheunderlyingcourse.Thisproblemiscausedbyalackofbondingbetweenlayers.Thisis
oftenbecauseatackcoatwasnotusedtodevelopabondbetweentheasphaltlayersorbecauseaprime
coatwasnotusedtobondtheasphalttotheunderlyingstonebasecourse.Thelackofbondcanbealso
causedbydirt,oil,orothercontaminantspreventingadhesionbetweenthelayers.

FIX:Alloftheareasexhibitingthestretchmarkswillneedtoberemovedandwillrequireapartialorfull
depthpatch.

PotHoles

Small,bowlshapeddepressionsinthepavementsurfacethatpenetrateallthewaythroughtheasphaltlayer
downtothebasecourse.Theygenerallyhavesharpedgesandverticalsidesnearthetopofthehole.
Potholesaretheresultofmoistureinfiltrationandusuallytheendresultofuntreatedalligatorcracking.As
alligatorcrackingbecomessevere,theinterconnectedcrackscreatesmallchunksofpavement,whichcanbe
dislodgedasvehiclesdriveoverthem.Theremainingholeafterthepavementchunkisdislodgediscalleda
pothole.

FIX:Fulldepthreplacementpatch
Depressions(birdbaths)

Depressionsarelocalizedpavementsurfaceareaswithslightlylowerelevationsthanthesurrounding
pavement.Depressionsareverynoticeableafterarainwhentheyfillwithwater.

FIX:Dependingontheseverityofthedepressiontheasphaltmayhavetoberemovedandreplaced(severe).
Lessseveredepressionscanbefixedbyapplyingathinsurfacepatchorinfraredpatch.

Rutting

Rutsinasphaltpavementsarechannelizeddepressionsinthewheeltracks.Ruttingresultsfrom
consolidationorlateralmovementofanyofthepavementlayersorthesubgradeundertraffic.Itiscausedby
insufficientpavementthicknesslackofcompactionoftheasphalt,stonebaseorsoilweakasphaltmixesor
moistureinfiltration.

FIX:Ifruttingisminororifithasstabilized,thedepressionscanbefilledandoverlaid.Ifthedeformationsare
severe,theruttedareashouldberemovedandreplacedwithsuitablematerial.

Shoving

Shovingistheformationofripplesacrossapavement.Thischaracteristicshapeiswhythistypeofdistressis
sometimescalledwashboarding.Shovingoccursatlocationshavingseverehorizontalstresses,suchas
intersections.Itistypicallycausedby:excessasphalttoomuchfineaggregateroundedaggregatetoosoft
anasphaltoraweakgranularbase.

FIX:Partialorfulldepthpatch
Upheaval
Upheavalisalocalizedupwardmovementinapavementduetoswellingofthesubgrade.Thiscanbedueto
expansivesoilsthatswellduetomoistureorfrostheave(iceunderthepavement).

FIX:Fulldepthpatch

Raveling(veryporousasphalt)

Ravelingistheongoingseparationofaggregateparticlesinapavementfromthesurfacedownwardorfrom
theedgesinward.Usually,thefineaggregatewearsawayfirstandthenleaveslittle"pockmarks"onthe
pavementsurface.Astheerosioncontinues,largerandlargerparticlesarebrokenfreeandthepavement
soonhastheroughandjaggedappearancetypicalofsurfaceerosion.

Therearemanyreasonswhyravelingcanoccur,butonecommoncauseisplacingasphalttoolateinthe
season.Thisisbecausethemixtureusuallylackswarmweathertrafficwhichreducespavementsurface
voids,furtherdensification,andkneadingoftheasphaltmat.Forthisreasonravelingismorecommoninthe
morenorthernregions(snowbelt).

FIX:Applyathinhotmixoverlay.Othersolutionscouldinclude:sandseal,chipseal,slurrysealormicro
surfacing.

Otherissuesthatneedtreatmentbeforemaintenance:

OilSpotsoilspotsareacommonprobleminparkinglotsanddriveways.Theseareasmustbetreated
beforesealcoatingortheoilandchemicalswillseepupthroughthenewlyappliedmaterialandrenderyour
sealedsurfaceineffective.Therearenumberofgreatproductsfortreatingthesetypesofissues.Askyour
materialsupplierwhattheyoffer.

GrassPoorlymaintainedparkinglotswilloftenhavegrassgrowingupthroughthecracks.Cleaningthe
cracksshouldbestandardpracticebeforesealingthem.Useaheatlancetoburnoutthecrackand/orblow
outthecracksdependingontheseverityoftheproblem.

Mud,treesap,berrystains,etcAnythingthatwouldsitbetweentheasphaltandthesealermustbe
removed.Withoutremovingitthesealercannotproperlyadheretotheasphaltandwilleventually(sooner
thanlatermostlikely)peeloff.Blowers,pushbrooms,pressurewashers,andgaspoweredbroomsareall
toolsyoushouldhaveinyourpavementmaintenancearsenal.

RelatedArticles
WhatisAsphaltPavement?
TheDeteriorationofAsphaltPavementanditsCauses
PotholeRepair:StepsforaStandardReplacementPatch
CrackSealingBasics:AirOutDustyCracksforaGreatSeal
UsingtheRightAsphaltSealerfortheJob
ChoosingtheRightCrackSealantfortheJob

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