Patching

Description: An area of pavement that has been replaced with new material to
repair the existing pavement. A patch is considered a defect no matter how well
it performs.
Problem: Roughness
Possible Causes:
Previous localized pavement deterioration that has been removed and
patched
Utility cuts

Repair: Patches are themselves a repair action. The only way they can be
removed from a pavements surface is by either a structural or non-structural
overlay.
Potholes
Description: Small, bowl-shaped depressions in the pavement surface that
penetrate all the way through the HMA layer down to the base course. They
generally have sharp edges and vertical sides near the top of the hole. Potholes
are most likely to occur on roads with thin HMA surfaces (1 to 2 inches) and
seldom occur on roads with 4 inch or deeper HMA surfaces (Roberts et al.,
1996[1]).
Problem: Roughness (serious vehicular damage can result from driving across
potholes at higher speeds), moisture infiltration
Possible Causes: Generally, potholes are the end result of fatigue cracking. As
fatigue cracking becomes severe, the interconnected cracks create small chunks
of pavement, which can be dislodged as vehicles drive over them. The remaining
hole after the pavement chunk is dislodged is called a pothole.
Repair: In accordance with patching techniques.
Rutting
Description: Surface depression in the wheelpath. Pavement uplift (shearing)
may occur along the sides of the rut. Ruts are particularly evident after a rain
when they are filled with water. There are two basic types of rutting: mix rutting
and subgrade rutting. Mix rutting occurs when the subgrade does not rut yet the
pavement surface exhibits wheelpath depressions as a result of compaction/mix
design problems. Subgrade rutting occurs when the subgrade exhibits wheelpath
depressions due to loading. In this case, the pavement settles into the subgrade
ruts causing surface depressions in the wheelpath.
Problem: Ruts filled with water can cause vehicle hydroplaning, can be hazardous
because ruts tend to pull a vehicle towards the rut path as it is steered across
the rut.
Possible Causes: Permanent deformation in any of a pavements layers or
subgrade usually caused by consolidation or lateral movement of the materials
due to traffic loading. Specific causes of rutting can be:
 Insufficient compaction of HMA layers during construction. If it is not
compacted enough initially, HMA pavement may continue to densify under
traffic loads.
Subgrade rutting (e.g., as a result of inadequate pavement structure)

Improper mix design or manufacture (e.g., excessively high asphalt

content, excessive mineral filler, insufficient amount of angular aggregate
particles)
Repair: A heavily rutted pavement should be investigated to determine the root
cause of failure (e.g. insufficient compaction, subgrade rutting, poor mix design
or studded tire wear). Slight ruts (< 1/3 inch deep) can generally be left
untreated. Pavement with deeper ruts should be leveled and overlayed.
Edge Cracks
Edge Cracks travel along the inside edge of a pavement surface within one or
two feet. The most common cause for this type of crack is poor drainage
conditions and lack of support at the pavement edge. As a result underlying base
materials settle and become weakened. Heavy vegetation along the pavement
edge and heavy traffic can also be the instigator of edge cracking.
FIX: The first stepin correcting the problem is to remove any existing vegetation
close to the edge of the pavement and fix any drainage problems. Crack seal/fill
the cracks to prevent further deterioration or remove and reconstruct to full
depth fixing any support issues.
ALLIGATOR CRACKING
Description
Alligator cracking may be considered a combination of fatigue and block
cracking. It is a series of interconnected cracks of various stages of
development. Alligator cracking develops into a many-sided pattern that
resembles chicken wire or alligator skin. It can occur anywhere in the road lane.
Alligator cracking must have a quantifiable area.
Severity Levels
LOW An area of cracks with no or very few interconnecting cracks and the cracks
are not spalled. Cracks are <= 0.25 in (6mm) in mean width. Cracks in the
pattern are no further apart than 1 foot (0.328 m). May be sealed cracks with
sealant in good condition and a crack width that cannot be determined.
MEDIUM An area of interconnected cracks that form a complete pattern. Cracks
may be slightly spalled. Cracks are >0.25 in. (6 mm) and <= 0.75 in. (19 mm)
or any crack with a mean width <= 19 mm and adjacent low severity cracking.
Cracks in the pattern are no further apart than 6 in. (150 mm).
HIGH An area of interconnected cracks forming a complete pattern. Cracks are
moderately or severely spalled. Cracks are >0.75 in (19mm) or any crack with a
mean width <= 0.75 in (19mm) and adjacent medium to high severity random
cracking.
A combination of observed crack width and crack pattern is used to determine
overall severity of alligator cracking. Based on above description of each
severity, the highest level of crack width and crack pattern determines overall
severity. Table 2 illustrates this.
TABLE 2: Alligator Crack Severity Levels Crack Pattern ALLIGATOR CRACKING
SEVERITY LEVELS LOW MED HIGH LOW L M H MED M M H Crack Width HI H H H

Patching Index
PATCH_INDEX = 100 40 * (%PATCHING / 80)
Where: The value %PATCHING reports the percentage of the observed pavement
(0.02 mile, primary lane) that contains patching/potholes. This value ranges from
0 to 100.
%PATCHING = Percent of total area (primary lane, 0.02 in length)
Percent of total area is computed as: square foot area of patching/potholes 0.02
mile * lane width
There are no severity levels for patching. It either exists or does not.
In PATCH_INDEX, the denominator 80 is the Maximum Allowable Extent (MAE) for
each severity. In other words, we will allow up to 80% patching for a 0.02
interval before failure. As you can see, if patching/potholes reaches MAE the
resulting index value is 60, or failure.
Rutting Index
RUT_INDEX = 100 40 * [(%LOW / 160) + (%MED / 80) + (%HI / 40)]
Where: 10 ARAN rut depth measurements are taken per 0.02 interval for each of
2 wheel paths (left and right), resulting in a total of 20 measurements taken for
both wheel paths. The values %LOW, %MED and %HI report the percentage of
the 20 measurements within that severity. These values range from 0 to
200.
%LOW = Percent of ARAN-measured ruts in both wheelpaths (20) within a single
wheelpath, low severity %MED = Percent of ARAN-measured ruts in both
wheelpaths (20) within a single wheelpath, medium severity %HI = (Percent of
ARAN-measured ruts in both wheelpaths (20) within a single wheelpath, high
severity
Percent of rut measurements within each severity is computed as: Number of
ruts within each severity 10 * 100.In RUT_INDEX, the denominators 160,
80, and 40 are the Maximum Allowable Extents for each severity. In other words,
we will allow up to 160% low severity ruts for a 0.02 interval before failure. As
you can see, if any single severity reaches MAE the resulting index value is 60, or
failure.
Alligator Crack Index
AC_INDEX = 100 40 * [(%LOW / 70) + (%MED / 30) + (%HI / 10)]
Where : The values %LOW, %MED and %HI report the percentage of the
observed pavement (0.02 mile, primary lane) that contains alligator cracking
within the respective severities. These values range from 0 to 100.
%LOW = Percent of total area (primary lane, 0.02 in length), low severity %MED
= Percent of total area (primary lane, 0.02 in length), medium severity %HI =
Percent of total area (primary lane, 0.02 in length), high severity
Percent of total area is computed as: square foot area of alligator crack severity
0.02 mile * lane width
In AC_INDEX, the denominators 70, 30, and 10 are the Maximum Allowable
Extents (MAE) for each severity. In other words, we will allow up to 70% of low
severity alligator cracking for a 0.02 interval before failure, 30% for medium
severity, and so on. As you can see, if any single severity reaches MAE the
resulting index value is 60, or failure.