7 Types of Asphalt Pavement Defects and Their Solutions

 Asphalt’s resilient, smooth and inexpensive qualities have made it one of the most versatile pavement materials. Even though asphalt paving can carry any load, from huge trucks to automobiles, they still undergo significant wear and tear.

Hence, you must do regular maintenance and repair the cracks, puddles and rutting to increase the longevity of asphalt. If properly maintained, asphalt pathways, carparks, trails, and highways can survive for 15-20 years or else the surface might begin to erode in 3-5 years.

However, your asphalt will experience multiple challenges depending on your location, weather, the subbase beneath your property, and other factors. So, you must address and identify the problems immediately to save yourself a great deal of time and resources.

Here we've created a list of different sorts of pavement damage to help you know what to look for and how to correct it:

1.   Block Cracking:

Squares or circles of cracks in your asphalt pathways are signs of block cracking. This issue usually occurs after two to three years of installation when the concreting contractor applies an old or excessively dried mixture while laying the asphalt surface.

Solution: Since block cracking does not reach the sub-layers, you can use thin patches or protective coatings to fill the cracks, preserve the asphalt's durability, and protect against further damage.

2.   Edge Cracking:

Edge cracks form at the asphalt paving’s outermost boundaries and they are usually long and run parallel to the road. The drying and shrinking of the soil beneath the surface, inadequate drainage, dense vegetation along the road's exterior margin, and high driving are all factors that contribute to these cracks.

Solution: you can use asphalt crack sealers or other solutions to fill the edge cracks. When repairing edge cracks, restore drainage around the asphalt and clear all vegetation from the paved surface's boundaries.

3.   Fatigue Cracking:

Fatigue cracking or alligator cracking is a cluster of microscopic cracks that appear like alligator skin in a specific location.

This sort of cracking indicates a defect in the asphalt paving layout or construction, high loads, or poor drainage, all of which are intensified by significant temperature variations.

Solution: Since this form of cracking signifies a fundamental issue with every asphalt layer from the surface to the moderating sub-layers, experts advise comprehensive repairs to strengthen and restore the surface’s integrity and eliminate future cracking.

4.   Sliding Cracks:

Slippage cracks appear to be caused by the asphalt slipping down the surface. You can identify these cracks by wrinkles and empty gaps on the asphalt pathways. This form of splitting develops when the outer layer struggles to attach to the layer underneath, or there is excess gravel in the concrete mixture.

Solution: you must take full or partial depth repairs based on the crack intensity and the quantity of slippage on the asphalt’s surface.

5.   Corrugations:

Corrugations are known as the bumps and granules on the pavement's surface. The excessive amount of asphalt in the pavement mixtures and impurities and moisture in the asphalt paving’s base can cause such defects.

These bumps can also arise if the concreting contractor uses an incorrect asphalt grade for the job.

Solution: Corrugations emerge after a few years and can only be fixed by trimming the damaged sections and laying full-depth patches.

6.   Permanent Deformation:

Pavement rutting is the creases along the wheel paths. These cracks form by surface layer compression, poor compression during installation or moisture penetration. Moreover, heavy traffic can worsen these cracks.

Solution: You can treat rutting with cold milling and an overlying or a thin surface patch to cover and even the road.

7.   Grade Depression:

Pavement sections settle lower than the surrounding pavement, resulting in grade depressions. Moisture condenses in these depressions, making them easy to spot after a rain shower. These depressions are caused by shifting and weakening bottom layers of the Industrial concreting company and faulty surface installation.

Solution: The development of grade depressions over time is corrected through adhesive or thermal patches and cold milling.

Do you need assistance with anything on this list? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!. At ROADSEAL CIVIL, we offer asphalt treatments that look better and provide better performance. We ensure an unmatched level of customer service and personalised attention. We include an on-site consultation to identify the issue and work with you on a solution.