PAVEMENT FAILURES AND MAINTENANCE

FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT DISTRESS

Summary of the major flexible pavement distresses is explained below.

Each distress discussion includes: (1) Description of the distress, (2)
Pictures, (3) Why the distress is a problem, (4) Causes of the distress and
(5) Solution to the problem.

Failure Types
1. Fatigue (alligator) Cracking
2. Bleeding
3. Block Cracking
4. Corrugation
5. Depression
6. Edge cracking
7. Joint Reflection Cracking
8. Longitudinal Cracking
9. Transverse Cracking
10. Lane/shoulder Drop Of
11. Patching
12. Polished Aggregate
13. Potholes
14. Rutting
15. Shoving
16. Slippage Cracking
17. Swelling
18. Raveling

1. FATIGUE (ALLIGATOR) CRACKING

It is a series of interconnected cracks caused by fatigue failure of the
asphalt concrete surface under repeated traffic loading. Cracking begins
at the bottom of the bottom of asphalt surface (or stabilized base) where
the tensile stress and strain are the highest under a wheel load. The
cracks propagate to the surface as one or more longitudinal cracks. After
repeated traffic loading, the cracks connect, forming many sided, sharp-
angled pieces that develop a pattern resembling the skin of an alligator.
The pieces are generally less than 2 ft on the longest side.
Alligator cracking is considered a major structural distress is usually
accompanied by rutting.
Problem: Indicator of structural failure, cracks allow moisture infiltration,
roughness, may further deteriorate to a pothole
Possible Causes: Inadequate structural support. A few of the more
common ones are listed here:
 Decrease in pavement load supporting characteristics: Loss of base,
sub-base or sub-grade support or stripping on the bottom of the HMA
layer
Increase in loading (e.g., more or heavier loads than anticipated in
design)
Inadequate structural design
Poor construction (e.g., inadequate compaction)
Repair: A fatigue cracked pavement should be investigated to determine
the root cause of failure. Any investigation should involve digging a pit or
coring the pavement to determine the pavement's structural makeup as
well as determining whether or not subsurface moisture is a contributing
factor. Once the characteristic alligator pattern is apparent, repair by
crack sealing is generally inefective. Fatigue crack repair generally falls
into one of two categories:
Small, localized fatigue cracking indicative of a loss of sub-grade
support: Remove the cracked pavement area then dig out and replace
the area of poor sub-grade and improve the drainage of that area if
necessary. Patch over the repaired sub-grade.
Large fatigue cracked areas indicative of general structural
failure: Place an HMA overlay over the entire pavement surface. This
overlay must be strong enough structurally to carry the anticipated
loading because the underlying fatigue cracked pavement most likely
contributes little or no strength (Roberts et. al., 1996).

Bad fatigue cracking

Fatigue cracking from frost action
Fatigue cracking from edge failure
2. BLEEDING
It is a film of asphalt binder on the pavement surface. It usually creates a
shiny, glass-like reflecting surface that can become quite sticky.
Problem: Loss of skid resistance when wet
Possible Causes: Bleeding occurs when asphalt binder fills the
aggregate voids during hot weather and then expands onto the pavement
surface. Since the bleeding is not reversible during cold weather, asphalt
binder will accumulate on the pavement surface.
This can be caused by one or a combination of the following:
Excessive asphalt binder in the HMA (either due to mix design or
manufacturing)
Low HMA air void content (e.g., not enough room for the asphalt to
expand into during hot weather)
Repair: The following repair measures may eliminate or reduce the
asphalt binder film on the pavement's surface but may not correct the
underlying problem that caused the bleeding:
Minor bleeding can often be corrected by applying coarse sand to blot
up the excess asphalt binder.
Major bleeding can be corrected by cutting of excess asphalt with a
motor grader or removing it with a heater planer. If the resulting
surface is excessively rough, resurfacing may be necessary (APAI, no
date given).

Bleeding in Wheel Paths

Bleeding in wheel Paths

HMA bleeding from over-asphalting

3. BLOCK CRACKING
These are interconnected cracks that divide the pavement into
approximately rectangular pieces. The blocks may range in size from 1 x
1 ft. to 10 x 10 ft. Block cracking is caused mainly by shrinkage of the
asphalt concrete and daily temperature cycling. It is not load associated.
Block cracking usually indicates that the asphalt has hardened
significantly. Block cracking normally occurs over a large portion of
pavement area but sometimes will occur only in non-traffic areas.
Problem: Allows moisture infiltration, roughness
Possible Causes: Asphalt concrete shrinkage and daily temperature
cycling. Typically caused by an inability of asphalt binder to expand and
contract with temperature cycles because of:
Asphalt binder aging
Poor choice of asphalt binder in the mix design
Repair: Strategies depend upon the severity and extent of the block
cracking:
Low severity cracks (< 1/2 inch wide). Crack seal to prevent (1) entry
of moisture into the sub-grade through the cracks and (2) further raveling
of the crack edges. HMA can provide years of satisfactory service after
developing small cracks if they are kept sealed (Roberts et. al., 1996).
High severity cracks (> 1/2 inch wide and cracks with raveled
edges). Remove and replace the cracked pavement layer with an
overlay.
4. CORRUGATION
Corrugation (also known as washboarding) is a form of plastic movement
typified by closely spaced ridges and valleys (ripples) occurring at fairly
regular intervals (usually less than 10 ft.) along the pavement. The ridges
are perpendicular to the traffic direction. It usually occurs at points where
traffic starts and stops.
Problem: Roughness
Possible Causes: It is usually caused by traffic action (starting and
stopping) combined with:
An unstable (i.e. low stifness) HMA layer (caused by mix
contamination, poor mix design, poor HMA manufacturing, or lack of
aeration of liquid asphalt emulsions).
Excessive moisture in the sub-grade.
Repair: Repair strategies generally fall into one of two categories:
Small, localized areas of corrugation: Remove the distorted
pavement and patch.
Large corrugated areas indicative of general HMA failure: Remove
the damaged pavement and overlay.
5. DEPRESSION

These are localized pavement surface areas with slightly lower elevations
than the surrounding pavement. Depressions are very noticeable after a
rain when they fill with water. On dry pavement, depressions can be
spotted by looking for stains caused by ponding water.
Problem: Roughness, depressions filled with substantial water can cause
vehicle hydroplaning
Possible Causes: Frost heave or sub-grade settlement resulting from
inadequate compaction during construction.
Repair: By definition, depressions are small localized areas. A pavement
depression should be investigated to determine the root cause of failure
(i.e., sub-grade settlement or frost heave). Depressions should be
repaired by removing the afected pavement, then digging out and
replacing the area of poor sub-grade. Patch over the repaired sub-grade.

6. EDGE CRACKING
Edge cracks are parallel to and usually within 1 to 2 ft. of the outer edge
of the pavement. The area between the crack and pavement edge is
classified as raveled if it is broken up.
Possible causes: It is caused by frost weakened base or sub-grade near
the edge of the pavement and is accelerated by traffic loading.
Repair: Seal cracks over 1/8 inch. For medium to severity level, provide
partial-depth patch.
7. JOINT REFLECTION CRACKING
These cracks occur only on asphalt surfaced pavements that have been
laid over a PCC slab (rigid pavement). These are caused mainly by
thermal or moisture induced movement of the PCC slab beneath the AC
surface. This distress is not load related; however, traffic loading may
cause a breakdown of the asphalt concrete surface near the crack. The
cracks occur directly over the underlying rigid pavement joints. It does not
include reflection cracks that occur from an underlying joint or from any
other type of base (e.g., cement or lime stabilized).
Problem: Allows moisture infiltration, roughness
Possible Causes: Movement of the PCC slab beneath the AC surface
because of thermal and moisture changes. Generally not load initiated,
however loading can hasten deterioration.
Repair: Strategies depend upon the severity and extent of the cracking:
Low severity cracks (< 1/2 inch wide and infrequent cracks).
Crack seal to prevent (1) entry of moisture into the sub-grade through the
cracks and (2) further raveling of the crack edges. In general, rigid
pavement joints will eventually reflect through an HMA overlay without
proper surface preparation.
High severity cracks (> 1/2 inch wide and numerous cracks).
Remove and replace the cracked pavement layer with an overlay.

Joint reflection cracking on an arterial

Joint reflection cracking close-up

8. LONGITUDINAL CRACKING
Longitudinal cracks are parallel to the pavement's centerline or laydown
direction. It is similar to fatigue cracking.
Problem: Allows moisture infiltration, roughness, indicates possible onset
of alligator cracking and structural failure.
Possible Causes:
A poorly constructed paving lane joint: Joints are generally the
least dense areas of a pavement. Therefore, they should be
constructed outside of the wheel path so that they are only
infrequently loaded.
Shrinkage of the of the AC surface due to low temperatures or
hardening of the asphalt and/or daily temperature cycling.
A reflective crack caused by cracking beneath the surface course,
including cracks in PCC slabs.
Repair: Strategies depend upon the severity and extent of the cracking:
Low severity cracks (< 1/2 inch wide and infrequent cracks).
Crack seal to prevent (1) entry of moisture into the sub-grade through the
cracks and (2) further raveling of the crack edges. HMA can provide years
of satisfactory service after developing small cracks if they are kept
sealed (Roberts et. al., 1996).
High severity cracks (> 1/2 inch wide and numerous cracks).
Remove and replace the cracked pavement layer with an overlay.

Longitudinal cracking at the onset of fatigue cracking

Longitudinal cracking from poor joint construction

Longitudinal cracking from poor joint construction

9. TRANSVERSE CRACKING
 Description: Cracks perpendicular to the pavement's centerline or
laydown direction, usually a type of thermal cracking.
Problem: Allows moisture infiltration, roughness
Possible Causes:
Shrinkage of the HMA surface due to low temperatures or asphalt
binder hardening
Reflective crack caused by cracks beneath the surface HMA layer top-
down cracking
Repair: Strategies depend upon the severity and extent of the cracking:
Low severity cracks (< 1/2 inch wide and infrequent cracks).
Crack seal to prevent (1) entry of moisture into the subgrade through the
cracks and (2) further raveling of the crack edges. HMA can provide years
of satisfactory service after developing small cracks if they are kept
sealed (Roberts et. al., 1996).
High severity cracks (> 1/2 inch wide and numerous cracks).
Remove and replace the cracked pavement layer with an overlay

Large patched thermal crack

10. LANE / SHOULDER DROP OFF
Lane shoulder drop of is a diference in elevation between the pavement
edge and the shoulder.
Possible cause: This distress is caused by shoulder erosion, shoulder
settlement, or by building up the roadway without adjusting the shoulder
level.
Repair: Re-grade and fill shoulders to match lane height.

11. PATCHING

A patch is 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 (a patched area usually does not perform as well as
an original pavement section).
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 pavement's surface is by either a structural or non-
structural overlay.

12. POLISHED AGGREGATE

When the aggregate in the surface becomes smooth to the touch,
adhesion with vehicle tires is considerably reduced. Areas of HMA
pavement where the portion of aggregate extending above the surface is
small or there are no rough or angular aggregate particles, the pavement
texture does not significantly contribute to reducing vehicle speed.
Problem: Decreased skid resistance
Possible Causes: Repeated traffic applications. Generally, as a
pavement ages the protruding rough, angular particles become
polished. This can occur quicker if the aggregate is susceptible to abrasion
or subject to excessive studded tire wear.
Repair: Apply a skid-resistant slurry seal.

SMAs at the NCAT test track

5 years of wear

13. POTHOLES
Potholes are small (usually less than 3 ft. in diameter), bowl-shaped
depressions in the pavement surface. They generally have sharp edges
and vertical sides near the top of the hole. Their growth is accelerated by
free moisture collection inside the hole. Potholes are most likely to occur
on roads with thin HMA surfaces (25 to 50 mm (1 to 2 inches)) and seldom
occur on roads with 100 mm (4 inch) or deeper HMA surfaces (Roberts et
al., 1996).
Potholes often are structurally related distresses and should not be
confused with raveling or weathering.
Problem: Roughness (serious vehicular damage can result from driving
across potholes at higher speeds), moisture infiltration
Possible Causes: Potholes are formed when traffic abrades small pieces
of pavement surface. The pavement continues to disintegrate because of
poor surface mixtures, weak spots in the base or subgrade or because
pavement has reached a condition of alligator cracking. As alligator
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.
Pothole from fatigue cracking
Developing pothole

14. RUTTING
It is a surface depression in the wheel path. Pavement uplift (shearing)
may occur along the sides of the rut. Ruts are particularly evident after a
rainfall when the paths 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 wheel path
depressions as a result of compaction/mix design problems. Subgrade
rutting occurs when the subgrade exhibits wheel path depressions due to
loading. In this case, the pavement settles into the subgrade ruts causing
surface depressions in the wheel path.
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 pavement layers or
subgrades, usually caused by consolidation or lateral movement of the
materials due to traffic load. 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)
Ruts caused by studded tire wear present the same problem as the
ruts described here, but they are actually a result of mechanical
dislodging due to wear and not pavement deformation.
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 overlaid

Mix rutting

Mix rutting
Rutting from mix instability
15. SHOVING
Shoving is a permanent, longitudinal displacement of a localized area of
the pavement surface caused by traffic loading. When traffic pushes
against the pavement, it produces a short, abrupt wave in the pavement
surface. It also occurs where asphalt pavement abuts PCC pavement. The
PCC pavement increases in length and pushes the asphalt pavement,
causing shoving.
Problem: Roughness
Possible Causes: This distress normally occurs only in unstable liquid
asphalt mix (cutback or emulsion) pavements.
Repair: Repair strategies generally fall into one of two categories:
Small, localized areas of shoving: Remove the distorted pavement
and patch.
Large shoved areas indicative of general HMA failure: Remove the
damaged pavement and overlay.

16. SLIPPAGE CRACKING

Slippage cracks are crescent or half-moon shaped cracks generally having
two ends pointed into the direction of traffic.
Problem: Allows moisture infiltration, roughness
Possible Causes: Braking or turning wheels cause the pavement surface
to slide and deform. It is caused by a low-strength surface mix or poor
bond between the surface HMA layer and the next underlying layer of the
pavement structure.
Repair: Removal and replacement of afected area.

Slippage cracking at a bus stop

17. SWELL
It is upward bulge in the pavement surface; a long, gradual wave greater
than 10 ft. long. Swell can be accompanied by surface cracking.
Problem: It afects ride quality.
Possible causes: Frost action in the subgrade or swelling soil.
Repair: Reconstruct

18. RAVELING
Description: It is wearing away of the pavement surface due to a loss of
asphalt or tar binder and dislodged aggregate particles. These distresses
indicate that either the asphalt binder has hardened appreciably or that a
poor quality mixture is present.
Softening of the surface and dislodging of the aggregates due to oil;
spillage are also included under raveling.
In case disintegration of HMA layer is from the surface downward as a
result of the dislodgement of aggregate particles, it is called raveling and
if the loss of bond between aggregates and asphalt binder begins at the
bottom of the HMA layer and progresses upward it is called stripping.
Problem: Loose debris on the pavement, roughness, water collecting in
the raveled locations resulting in vehicle hydroplaning, loss of skid
resistance
Possible Causes: The causes include:
Loss of bond between aggregate particles and the asphalt
binder: A dust coating on the aggregate particles that forces the
asphalt binder to bond with the dust rather than the aggregate
 Aggregate Segregation: If fine particles are missing from the
aggregate matrix, then the asphalt binder is only able to bind the
remaining coarse particles at their relatively few contact points.
Inadequate compaction during construction: High density is
required to develop sufficient cohesion within the HMA. The third
figure above shows a road sufering from raveling due to inadequate
compaction caused by cold weather paving.
Mechanical dislodging by certain types of traffic (studded tires,
snowplow blades or tracked vehicles). The first and fourth figures
above show raveling most likely caused by snow plows.
Repair: A raveled pavement should be investigated to determine the root
cause of failure. Repair strategies generally fall into one of two
categories:
Small, localized areas of raveling: Remove the raveled pavement and
patch.
Large raveled areas indicative of general HMA failure. Remove the
damaged pavement and overlay.

Raveling due to low density

Raveling from snowplow operations

From segregation
Fatigue failure from stripping