Flexible Pavement Distress

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 TYPES OF PAVEMENT DISTRESS
Index of Pavement Distresses Shown on this Page

Fatigue (alligator) cracking Polished aggregate

Bleeding Potholes
Block cracking Raveling
Corrugation and shoving Rutting
Depression Slippage Cracking
Joint reflection cracking Stripping
Lane/shoulder drop-off Transverse (thermal)
Longitudinal cracking cracking
Patching Water bleeding and
pumping

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 FATIGUE (ALLIGATER) CRACKING

Series of interconnected cracks caused by fatigue failure of the Hot Mix

laid surface (or stabilized base) under repeated traffic loading. In thin
pavements, cracking initiates at the bottom of the Hot Mix layer where the
tensile stress is the highest then propagates to the surface as one or more
longitudinal cracks. This is commonly referred to as "bottom-up" or
"classical" fatigue cracking. In thick pavements, the cracks most likely
initiate from the top in areas of high localized tensile stresses resulting
from tire-pavement interaction and bitumen binder aging . After repeated
loading, the longitudinal cracks connect forming many-sided sharp-angled
pieces that develop into a pattern resembling the back of an alligator or
crocodile.
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 FATIGUE (ALLIGATER) CRACKING

Possible Causes: FATIGUE (ALLIGATER) CRACKING

Inadequate structural support, which can be caused by a myriad
of things. A few of the more common ones are listed here:
Decrease in pavement load supporting characteristics
Loss of base, sub base or Subgrade support e.g., poor
drainage
Stripping on the bottom of the Hot Mix layer the stripped
portion contributes little to pavement strength so the effective
Hot Mix thickness decreases.
Increase in loading e.g., more or heavier loads than anticipated in
design.
Inadequate structural design
Poor construction e.g., inadequate compaction. 4
FATIGUE (ALLIGATER) CRACKING

Repairs:
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 ineffective. Fatigue crack repair generally falls into one
of two categories:
Small, localized fatigue cracking indicative of a loss of Subgrade
support. Remove the cracked pavement area then dig out and replace the
area of poor Subgrade and improve the drainage of that area if
necessary. Patch over the repaired Subgrade.
Large fatigue cracked areas indicative of general structural failure. Place
an Hot Mix 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.
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SOME MORE EXAMPLES OF
ALIGATER CRACKS

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Bleeding Description:
A film of bitumen 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 bitumen binder fills the
aggregate voids during hot weather and then
expands onto the pavement surface. Since
bleeding is not reversible during cold weather,
bitumen binder will accumulate on the pavement
surface over time. This can be caused by one or a
combination of the following:
Excessive bitumen binder in the Hot Mix (either
due to mix design or manufacturing )
Excessive application of bitumen binder during
application
Low Hot Mix air void content (e.g., not enough
room for the bitumen to expand into during hot
weather) 7
Repair:
The following repair measures may
eliminate or reduce the bitumen
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 bitumen binder.
Major bleeding can be corrected by
cutting off excess bitumen with a
motor grader or removing it with a
heater planer. If the resulting
surface is excessively rough,
resurfacing may be necessary.

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 Block Cracking
Description:
Interconnected cracks that divide the
pavement up into rectangular pieces. Blocks
range in size from approximately 0.1 m2 to 9
m2 . Larger blocks are generally classified as
longitudinal and transverse cracking. 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:
Hot Mix layer shrinkage and daily temperature cycling. Typically caused by
an inability of bitumen binder to expand and contract with temperature
cycles because of:
bitumen binder aging
Poor choice of bitumen binder in the mix design
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Repairs on Block Cracking:
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 Subgrade
through the cracks.
(2) further raveling of the crack edges. Hot
Mix can provide years of satisfactory service
after developing small cracks if they are kept
sealed.
High severity cracks (> 1/2 inch wide and
cracks with raveled edges). Remove and
replace the cracked pavement layer with an
overlay.
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Corrugation and Shoving

Description:
A form of plastic movement typified by ripples (corrugation) or an
abrupt wave (shoving) across the pavement surface. The
distortion is perpendicular to the traffic direction. Usually occurs
at points where traffic starts and stops (corrugation) or areas
where Hot Mix abuts a rigid object (shoving).
Problem: Roughness
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Possible Causes:
Usually caused by traffic
action (starting and stopping)
combined with:
An unstable (i.e. low stiffness)
Hot Mix layer (caused by mix
contamination, poor mix
design, poor Hot Mix
manufacturing, or lack of Repair:
A heavily corrugated or shoved pavement
aeration of liquid bitumen should be investigated to determine the root
emulsions) cause of failure. Repair strategies generally
Excessive moisture in the fall into one of two categories:
Subgrade. Small, localized areas of corrugation or
shoving. Remove the distorted pavement
and patch.
Corrugation & Large corrugated or shoved areas indicative
Shoving of general Hot Mix failure. Remove the
damaged pavement and overlay. 12
Depression
Description:
Localized pavement surface areas with slightly lower elevations than
the surrounding pavement. Depressions are very noticeable after a rain
when they fill with water.
Problem: Roughness, depressions filled with substantial water can
cause vehicle hydroplaning.
Possible Causes: Frost heave or Subgrade 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., Subgrade settlement ). Depressions should be repaired by
removing the affected pavement then digging out and replacing the area
of poor Subgrade. Patch over the repaired Subgrade.
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Joint Reflection Cracking

Description:
Cracks in a flexible overlay of a rigid pavement. The cracks occur directly
over the underlying rigid pavement joints. Joint reflection cracking does not
include reflection cracks that occur away from an underlying joint or from any
other type of base (e.g., cement or lime stabilized).
Problem: Allows moisture infiltration, roughness
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Possible Causes:
Movement of the PCC slab beneath the Hot
Mix 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 Subgrade through the cracks and (2) further
raveling of the crack edges. In general, rigid
pavement joints will eventually reflect through an Hot
Mix 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.
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 Longitudinal Cracking

Description:
Cracks parallel to the pavement's centreline or lay
down direction. Usually a type of fatigue cracking.
Problem:
Allows moisture infiltration, roughness, indicates
possible onset of alligator cracking and structural
failure.
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Longitudinal Possible Causes:
Cracking Poor joint construction or location. 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. Joints in the wheel
path like those shown in third through fifth figures
above, will general fail prematurely.
A reflective crack from an underlying layer (not including
joint reflection cracking)
Hot Mix fatigue (indicates the onset of future alligator
cracking) 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 entry of moisture into the Subgrade through the cracks and further
raveling of the crack edges. Hot Mix can provide years of satisfactory service
after developing small cracks if they are kept sealed.
High severity cracks (> 1/2 inch wide and numerous cracks). Remove and
replace the cracked pavement layer with an overlay.
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Patching

Repair:
Patches are themselves a repair action. The only way they
can be removed from a pavement's surface is by overlay.
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Polished Aggregate

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 Description:
Potholes Small, bowl-shaped depressions in the
pavement surface that penetrate all the way
through the Hot Mix 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 Hot Mix surfaces (25 to 50
mm (1 to 2 inches)) and seldom occur on
roads with 100 mm (4 inch) or deeper Hot
Mix surfaces.

Problem: Roughness (serious vehicular

damage can result from driving across
potholes at higher speeds), moisture
infiltration.

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Possible Causes: Generally,
potholes are the end result 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.

Potholes
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Raveling

Description:
The progressive disintegration of an Hot Mix layer from
the surface downward as a result of the dislodgement of
aggregate particles.
Problem:
Loose debris on the pavement, roughness, water
collecting in the raveled locations resulting in vehicle
hydroplaning, loss of skid resistance.

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 Raveling
Possible Causes:
Loss of bond between aggregate particles and the bitumen binder
as a results as a dust coating on the aggregate particles that
forces the bitumen binder to bond with the dust rather than the
aggregate.
Aggregate Segregation. If fine particles are missing from the
aggregate matrix, then the bitumen 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 Hot
Mix. The third figure above shows a road suffering from
raveling due to inadequate compaction caused by cold
weather paving.
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 Hot Mix laidfailure. Remove the
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damaged pavement and overlay.
Rutting
Description:
Surface depression in the wheel path. 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
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.

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Rutting
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's 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 Hot Mix layers during construction. If it is not
compacted enough initially, Hot Mix pavement may continue to densify
under traffic loads in the wheel path.
Improper mix design or manufacture (e.g., excessively high bitumen
content, excessive mineral filler, insufficient amount of angular aggregate
particles)
Ruts caused by studded tyre 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.
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 Rutting
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 tyre wear). Slight ruts
(< 1/3 inch deep) can generally
be left untreated. Pavement with
deeper ruts should be levelled
and overlaid.
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Description:
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. The resulting sliding and deformation is caused by a low-strength
surface mix or poor bonding between the surface Hot Mix layer and the next
underlying layer in the pavement structure.

Repair: Removal and replacement of affected area.

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 Description:
Stripping The loss of bond between aggregates and
bitumen binder that typically begins at the
bottom of the Hot Mix layer and progresses
upward. When stripping begins at the
surface and progresses downward it is
usually called raveling. The third photo show
the surface effects of underlying stripping.

Core hole showing stripping at the bottom

Problem:
Decreased structural support, rutting,
shoving/corrugations, raveling, or
cracking (alligator and longitudinal)
Stripping at bottom of hole 28
 Stripping
Possible Causes:
Bottom-up stripping is very difficult to recognize
because it manifests itself on the pavement
surface as other forms of distress including rutting,
shoving/corrugations, raveling, or
cracking. Typically, a core must be taken to
positively identify stripping as a pavement distress.
Poor aggregate surface chemistry
Water in the Hot Mix laid causing moisture damage
Overlays over an existing open-graded surface
course., these overlays will tend to strip.
Repair:
A stripped pavement should be investigated to
determine the root cause of failure (i.e., how did the
moisture get in?). Generally, the stripped pavement
needs to be removed and replaced after correction
of any subsurface drainage issues.
Fatigue failure from stripping 29
Transverse (Thermal) Cracking

Description:
Cracks perpendicular to the pavement's
centreline or lay down direction. Usually
a type of thermal cracking.
Problem: Allows moisture infiltration,
roughness.

Possible Causes:
Several including:
Shrinkage of the Hot Mix laid surface
due to low temperatures or bitumen
binder hardening
Reflective crack caused by cracks
beneath the surface Hot Mix layer
top-down cracking.

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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. Hot Mix laid can provide
years of satisfactory service after developing small
cracks if they are kept sealed.
High severity cracks (> 1/2 inch wide and numerous
cracks). Remove and replace the cracked pavement
layer with an overlay.

Transverse (Thermal)
Cracking 31
Water Bleeding and Pumping
Description:
Water bleeding occurs when water seeps out of joints
or cracks or through an excessively porous Hot Mix
layer. Pumping occurs when water and fine material
is ejected from underlying layers through cracks in
the Hot Mix layer under moving loads.
Problem:
Decreased skid resistance, an indication of high
pavement porosity (water bleeding), decreased
structural support (pumping)
Possible Causes:
Several including:
Porous pavement as a result of inadequate
compaction during construction or poor mix design
High water table
Poor drainage

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Water Bleeding and Pumping

Repair:

Water bleeding or pumping should be

investigated to determine the root cause. If the
problem is a high water table or poor drainage,
Subgrade drainage should be improved. If the
problem is a porous mix (in the case of water
bleeding) a fog seal or slurry seal may be
applied to limit water infiltration.
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