WACHEMO UNIVERSITY

COLLAGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
HIGHWAY –III MINI PROJECT

SECTION -A

NAME OF GROUP MEMBER ID NO

1) Zerihun Endashaw 004026

2)

SUBMITTED TO INSTRUCTOR

SUBMISSION DATE-
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First of all we would like to thank GOD for his uncountable, merciful and
endless guidance throughout our life and for being a reason to have such a
wonderful Min Project. We need to have special thanks for those who were
giving their time to listen our question, sharing their theoretical, practical and
technical knowledge.Especially, we would like to thank INSTRUCTOR for
giving us remarkable contribution and guidance to make our Min P fruitful.
DECLARATION
According to the program schedule that is provided from our teacher, which we
agreed to do highway project on Asphalt Pavement and Types of Distress, problems,
possible causes of distress and engineering measure for maintenance work. As our
instructor (teacher) guided us to prepare our project report according to report writing
rules we prepared our report based on the rule. In this project all members are actively
participated and observed types of Asphalt Pavement Distress,possible causes for
distress and Discussed Engineering method of maintenance. When we started and
completed every task within the time and submitted, as our Instructor needed.
Therefore, we satisfied by this project and we had gained good knowledge and
experience.
EXCUTIVE SUMMARY
This min project report covers our work on HIGHWAY THREE, Asphalt Pavement,
Types of Distress, Discretion of Distress types, Problems of Distress types, Causes
of distress types and Engineering method of maintenance of types of Distress. And it
gives detailed information about types of pavement distress; the activities should be
carried out to maintain types of pavement distress and with the detail pavement
survey condition in start from eyerusalem(fit awurari Geja Garibo) square

to nigist Eleni Hospital

Abstraction

We have written this report using the guide from the ERA MANUAL, and brief
description about our selected site and the action how we collected the data is
provided. This includes background information about our site, about HOSSANA,
soil type and also type of pavement layer in our site. It also explains the overall
experience we have gained during our practical periods, i.e. observation at site.
Neatly, we tried to describe the engineering maintenance methods for the types of
asphalt pavement distress. The challenges we have faced during our project work,
especially on site capturing of photo is very difficult, because the flow of traffic is
very crowded and faced us for accident. Lastly it briefly explains about the overall
benefits we have gained from this project like Improving our practical skills,
interpersonal communication skills, team playing skills, leadership skills, upgrading
our theoretical knowledge and work ethics. Generally this report shows the skills we
have gained in changing theoretical knowledge to practical and identifying problems
and giving engineering solution for the problems.
Table and figures
Table 1 Extent of defects .....................................................................................10

Table 2 Collected detail survey data for Alligator crack................................................11

Table 3 Collected detail survey data for Edge cracking.................................................14

Table 4 level of severity for Types B damages.............................................................17

Table 5 Collected detail survey data for Rutting crack...................................................17

Table 6 level of severity for Types B damages .............................................................20

Table 7 Collected detail survey data for potholes crack. ......................................21

Table 8 levels of severity for potholes...........................................................................22

Table of contents
Catalog
ACKNOWLEDGMENT.................................................................................................................1

DECLARATION...........................................................................................................................1

EXCUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................3

Abstraction..............................................................................................................................IV

Table and figures.....................................................................................................................IV

List of figures............................................................................................................................V

Table of contents....................................................................................................................VII

CHAPTER ONE...........................................................................................................................1

1.1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................1

1.2. Research questions....................................................................................................2

1.3 Objectives of the Project.............................................................................................3

1.4 The statement of the problem....................................................................................3

CHAPTER TWO..........................................................................................................................5

2. METHODOLOGY............................................................................................................5

2.1 Sources of data...........................................................................................................5

2.2 Data processing...........................................................................................................6

The study area...........................................................................................................6

2.3 Data collection and analysis........................................................................................6

Condition survey:-.....................................................................................................6

2.4 Data interpretation and analysis.................................................................................7

2.5 Ways to select the study roads...................................................................................7

2.6 Types of Cracking........................................................................................................8

2.6.1 Alligator cracking..............................................................................................8

2.6.2. Edge cracking................................................................................................11

2.6.3. Rutting:-.........................................................................................................13

2.6.4. POTHOLES:-...................................................................................................16
 2.6 CHALLENGES WE FACED DURING OUR PRACTICAL...................................................20

CHAPTER THREE......................................................................................................................22

3. Conclusion And Recommendation..............................................................................22

3.1 Conclusion.........................................................................................................22

3.2 Recommendation..............................................................................................23

3.3 Reference..........................................................................................................24
 CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Pavement is one of the major infrastructures that are developed from time to time due
to increasing transportation in order to create strong relationship between different
places. Positive impact of market share development of goods from one area to
another shows the direct infrastructure development .This also affects the type to
choice, that has a great economic impact. In many areas, especially urban areas,
installing proper pavement is a serious issue. Shortages of pavement and modern
design for roads is hot issue when discussing about pavement infrastructure
development, complaints about high unsafely conditions and congestion due to
passenger cars, bus, and truck in search for a transportation are only a few examples
of everyday problems. Many cities and urban areas recognize these problems, but the
solution proves to be very complicated.

Asphalt pavement distress is defined as a condition of pavement structure that reduces

serviceability that means the ability of pavement to provide as safe and comfortable
ride to its users. Factors influencing the performance of pavement are traffic, moisture
content, soil Type, poor quality construction and maintenance and also, pavement
materials characteristics like:-

 Asphalt cement
 Aggregate
 Environment

 Moisture

 Temperature
Location of our site:>1km from Eyerusalem square to nigist Eleni hospital. In the site
we observed different types of distress and its cause, also we give engineering
solution or method of maintenance depending on pavement condition survey. A
pavement condition survey is the process of collecting data to determine the structure
integrity, distress skid resistance and overall riding quality of pavement.

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The current maintenance and rehabilitation practice also depends more on visual
Observation and functional evaluations such as surface roughness and visual survey at
network level rather than detail pavement evaluation at project level

1.2. Research questions

This study is intended to answer the following research questions :

1. What is the timing pavement condition of the town.

2. How to assess the extent and severity of distresses

3. How much global damage index value happened in the road sections

4. What type of remedial measure is needed for the assessed pavement road
section.
In general, asphalt pavement distress is divided into two categories. Such as:-

Type A damage: Related to the pavements of structural capacity.

 This characterizes the structural condition of the pavement, affecting either all
of its courses and the ground or the surfacing only.
This damage is caused by a structural deficiency of the pavement.
 Types:
 Deformation
 Rutting
 Fatigue cracking
Type B damage:Unrelated to the pavements of structural capacity.
 This type of damage may be caused either by defective placement, or by
deficient materials quality, or by some special local condition, aggravated by
traffic. It includes:
• Cracking other than fatigue cracking, i.e. longitudinal joints and transverse
thermal.
• Potholes,

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 • Raveling and, more generally, all surface defects such as fretting, bleeding
& etc.
Our project site covers from eyerusalem square to nigist elleni hospital , In our site
we observed different types of distress/damages, then we collected the necessary data
regarding to the distresses in the way of
 Recording type of damage
 Measuring the extent of damage
 Severity
 Finally, we discussed about its causes, as well as engineering solution
/recommendations.

1.3 Objectives of the Project

 General objectives
The General objectives of this project are to conduct a detail pavement condition
survey for a given road section in hosanna town access road (from eyerusalem aquare
to nigist elleni hospital) according to ERA design manual 2013.
 Specific objectives
The Specific objectives are:-
 To identify the type of damage and cause of damage

 To know the extent and severity of different type of pavement distress

damage

 To recommend appropriate maintenance type for selected road section.

1.4 The statement of the problem

The significance of this project is understands how to figure out the surface condition
of pavement as per standard in ERA 2013 manual. The project also creates the
mechanism to identify type and nature of damage, severity, extent and as well as the
cause of damage and its treatment/repair.

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  Possible cause
 Asphalt binder hardening excessively

 Poor qualify mixture

 Dusts on aggregate

 Lack of compaction during construction

 In sufficient asphalt content

 Improper construction method

 Asphalt hardening due to aging

 Maintenance treatment
 Any surface treatment or thin overlay

 Thin cold mix overlay

 Thin hot mix overlay

 Fog seal

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 CHAPTER TWO

2. METHODOLOGY

The methodology gives an overview of the applied procedures in order to attain the
objective of the project. It indicates methods followed for the assessment, evaluation
and analysis of the pavement conditions to identify causes of distress and their
corresponding maintenance measures for hosanna town roads.This section describes
procedures followed establish the degree of severity &level of extent of pavement
distress and also reviews possible remedial measures.

2.1 Sources of data

a. Primary source of data

It is data which is collected from the site by rough condition surveying methods. In
this project we took 1 km cross section on the given roads. In such case we divide the
given road in to 10 blocks, each block is 100m and we recorded types of distress in
each blocks. We used the tape meter for measuring the length and width of the
distress types in our selected road section, but we assign the thickness by visualizing.

b. Secondary data
It is the data collected from previous theoretical as well as recorded data that were
conducted at the site.
It was taken from:-
 Different materials

 Terrain condition of the area.

 Traffic data

 Climatic condition of the area

 Moisture condition

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2.2 Data processing

All the collected data has been analyzed and all other information’s are computed. For
the solution of distress type purposes, the investigated data from the site can be
analyzed based on engineering view and finally evaluate with respect to technical ,
financial and time aspects has been done.

The study area

The case study area covers from eyerusalem square to nigist eleni hospital
Accordingly, the rough condition survey investigation, the data collecting methods are
carried out by dividing the given road section in to 10 blocks, in each block 100 m
intervals. In these sections, we made rough condition survey to identify the distress
type by walking as visualizing and identifying all the distress types in each blocks of
our selected site.

2.3 Data collection and analysis

The collected data are analyzed based on ERA manual as well as engineering views.

Condition survey:-

The following steps are followed:

I) Classification of distresses Classify the type of distresses into possible causes such
as load associated, climate/durability associated and moisture drainage associated
distresses based on the results of the visual condition survey.
II) Identify Probable Pavement distress the last stage in the data analysis is to
establish causes of pavement distress by interpreting the data collected during the
visual condition survey. Quantify the existing distresses with relation to their severity
for each test section. Quantity the most dominate distresses in the whole surveying
road.
During the field works, we simply collect data by working firm different section of
the given roads. Based on the visual survey, it is found that each block. i.e. 100m in
each block; there is almost potholes distress type as we condition surveying. In the

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middle and at the last segment of our selected site the edge crack and pothole distress
type is higher than other block.
In our selected site project, i.e. from Start from eyerusalem square to nigist elleni
hospital we also found other distress types in the divided block section.

These are:
 Alligator crack

 Edge crack

 Rutting
 Transverse crack
 Longitudinal
After the above data are properly collected we go to the given data interpretation and
analysis section based on ERA manual and engineering view.

2.4 Data interpretation and analysis

The above condition surveying distress type are properly analyzed based on their
severity and extent using ERA manual as the guidance as well as their case of failures
and maintenance type properly.

2.5 Ways to select the study roads

The following major criteria were considered when making the study on the road: -

 These road can fairly represent the main collector roads in the road network
 These roads is the most utilized sections and convey higher traffic loading and
hence are prone to damage than others.
 These road need top priority in having routine and periodic maintenance.

The following pieces of equipment are utilized to carry out visual condition survey:
and camera for video capturing. The identified distress is quantified and recorded
using the following:-

• Distress type - identify types of physical distress existing in the pavement.

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The distress types are categorized according to their casual mechanisms (i.e.
functional structural).

• Distress severity - estimating the distress items in three damage levels i.e. low (L),
medium (M) and high (H) severity. This assessment helps to estimate degree of
deterioration.

• Distress extent - Denote relative area (percentage of the road section) affected by
each combination of distress type and severity.

The elements of pavement condition rating are recorded as follows:-

I. The type of defect

II. The severity of the defect (low, medium, high as stated in AASHTO
Guide)
III. The extent to which the road surface is affected by the defect.

2.6 Types of Cracking

2.6.1 Alligator cracking

Alligator cracks are interconnected cracks forming a series of small blocks

resembling an alligator skin.Alligator or fatigue cracking in a bituminous surface
shows a series of interconnected cracks which occurs when the pavement has been
stressed to the limit of its fatigue life by repetitive axle load applications. In our road
section we observed such type of distress crack allows water to penetrate the
surfacing materials and sub grade, which further the damages.

The lengths of the cracked pieces are usually less than 15 cm on the longest side. In
some cases, alligator cracking is caused by excessive deflection of the surface over
unstable sub grade or lower courses of the structure. The unstable support is usually
the result of saturation of the bases or sub grade. Although the affected areas in most
cases are not large, occurring principally in traffic lanes, occasionally, will cover
entire sections of pavements.

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 Image 1 Alligator cracks

 Causes of Alligator crack in our site:-

 Repeated Loading
 Insufficient Strength
 End of Pavement Life
 Poor base drainage
 Thin surface or base…etc

 Their remedial measures are :

Removing the wet material and installing needed drainage

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 .

Table 1 Extent of defects

Table 2 Collected detail survey data for Alligator crack.

Crack Types Block No.

of
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
damage

Alligato A - - 1 - 1 - - - 1 -
r Crack

Extent 1 1 1

Severity 1 1 1

Therefore,Extent =Level 1 and Severity =Level 1

For block(3,5,9)
A1 =L1*W1 = 3m *4.5m= 13.5m2, A2=L2 *W2= 1.8m *1.5m=2.7m2, A3 =3*4 =12m2
Atotal = A1+ A2+A3 =28.2m2
Area of block in road section is calculated as Ablock= Lblock * wblock
Ablock= 9m * 100m =900m2
Level of extent(%) is calculated as

Atotal/ Ablock* 100%=28.2m2/450m2* 100%=62.67%< 10%

Therefore, the level of extent for this block is one.
Where L is length in meter

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W is width in meter
Severity level depends on extent of the alligator crack in the block.
Hence, severity level is 1

2.6.2. Edge cracking

In our road cross section, such cracking looks like longitudinal cracks at edge of the
pavement with or without traverse cracks branching towards the shoulder.
Edge cracks are parallel to and usually within the edge of the pavement. This distress
is accelerated by traffic loading and is caused by a weakened base or sub base at the
pavement edge. Weakening of the base or sub base can normally be associated with a
drainage problem causing water intrusion.
Failure starts at the edge of the pavement and progresses toward the wheel path
pavement edge distress can result in worsening of the wheel path condition and allow
moisture in to the sub grade soils and base material.
 It is not in the wheel path.

 It is not load associated cracks.

Image 2 Edge Cracking

Possible Cause:-

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  due to lack of (shoulder) lateral Support
 By settlement or yielding of underlying the material
 Due to poor drainage and heavy vegetation (trees, bushes) close to the
pavement
 High shoulder holding water.
 Due to improper use of construction materials.
 Moisture condition.

Their remedial measures are :

 Liquid asphalts mixes with sand
 Removed heavy vegetation from the edge surface.
 Providing shoulder both sides of the pavements.
 Providing the drainage if the age of the pavement those settled
blowing up to the grade with het none mix patching material

Table 3 Collected detail survey data for Edge cracking

Crack Types
of
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
damage

Edge A 2 2 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 -
Crack

Extent 2 2 2 2 2 2

Severit 2 2 2 2 2 2
y

For block(1,2,3,5,7,9)

Number of length is one ;

Ltotal =L1 = 33m
length of block in road section is 100m

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 Level of extent(%) is calculated as
Ltotal/ Lblock* 100%=33m/100m* 100%=33% >10%
Therefore, the level of extent for this block is 2
Where L is length in meter
Number of width is one;
Wtotal =W1 = 100cm
width of block in road section is 9m
severity level(%) is calculated as
Ltotal/ Lblock* 100%=1m/9m* 100%=11.11% >10%
Hence, severity level is 2

Note:- Edge crack is measured by linear meter.

2.6.3. Rutting:-

A rut is a surface depression which occurs in the pavements wheel path. Pavement uplift
may occur along the sides of a rut. Ruts are usually most noticeable after rainfall When
the wheel tracks are filled with water.
Rutting are parallel depression of the surface in the wheel tracks.
Rutting characterized by a surface depression in the wheel path .In many instance,
ruts become notice enable only after a rainfall when the wheel path fill with water. This
type of distress is caused by a permanent deformation in any one of the pavement layers
or sub grade resulting from the consolidation or displacement of material due to traffic
loading.
Rutting load is associated deformation or rutting appears as longitudinal depression
in the wheel path.
Rutting can also be the result of shear failure in the either unbound or the bituminous
pavement layers resulting in shoving at the edge of the road pavement .
Rutting is defined as permanent deformation in the wheel path.
It caused due to unstable HMA, deification of HMA and deep settlement in the sub
grade.

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Possible cause

 Due to unstable use of tack coat.

 Densification of tack coat.
 Deep settlement in sub-grade.
 Rutting may result from consolidation.
 Lateral movement under traffic in one or more underlying course.
 By displacement in the asphalt surface layer itself.
 Caused by little compaction and the mix does not enough stability
to support

Their remedial measures are:

 .Level the pavement by filling the channel with hot plant

mixed asphalt material (tack coat is used)
 .Follow with a thin asphalt plant-mix overlay

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Image 3 Rutting

Table 4 level of severity for Types B damages.

Crack Types Block No.

of
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
damag
e

Alligator A - - 2 - 1 1 - - 2 - - 1 - - - - - -1 - -
Crack

Extent 1 1 1 1

Severity 1 1 1 1

Therefore,Extent =Level 1 and Severity =Level 1

Table 5 Collected detail survey data for Rutting crack.

For block(3,5,6,9,12and18)

Number of length is one ;

Ltotal =L1 = 7.4m

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 length of block in road section is 50m
Level of extent (%) is calculated as
Ltotal/ Lblock* 100%= 7.4m/100m* 100%=7.4% <10%
Therefore, the level of extent for this block is one.
Where L is length in meter
Number of depth is one;
Dtotal =D
width of block in road section is 9m
severity level(%) is calculated as
Dtotal=0.8cm
Hence, severity level is one

Note:-Rutting crack is measured by linear meter

2.6.4. POTHOLES:-

 Are bowel shaped holes of various sizes in the pavement resulting from the
localized disintegration.

 Potholes begin to form when fragments of asphalt concrete are displaced by

traffic wheel

 Pothole grow in size and depth as water accumulation in the hole and
penetrates in to the base and sub grade, weakening support in the vicinity of
the pothole.

 are usually caused by a localized weakness in the pavement resulting from

a combination of such factors as too little asphalt, thin surface thickness,
too many fines, too few fines, or poor drainage. Unless repaired promptly,
their growth will be accelerated by traffic and moisture collected in the
pothole. The occurrence of potholes often coincides with a period of heavy
rainfall during which water penetrates the asphalt layer through cracks,
usually closely spaced alligator cracks, and softens the granular base
course. Fine material is pumped through the cracks so that the underlying
base support is weakened resulting in removal of the adjacent material by
traffic. Once the first piece is dislodged, the pothole grows rapidly since all

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 other pieces are more easily dislodged that the first piece. Potholes can
develop along any crack that occurs in a pavement for example either
longitude or transverse cracks can deteriorate.

Image 4 pothole

Possible Cause:-
 Due to lack of binding material.

 Due to Poor quality sub grade / sub base material.

 Due to loss of gravel from the wearing course by traffic abrasion

 Due to Improper compaction

 Due to Poor drainage

 Due to Gradation.

 Due to Heavy traffic load.

Their remedial measures are:

 Temporary repair usually involved cleaning out the hole and filling it with a
pre-mix asphalt patching material.
 Permanent repair is made by cutting out the hole to solid material on both side
and bottom and filling it with base and surface material.
 Pot holes frequently appear when it is difficult to make apermanent repair and
emergency measure have to be taken.

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 .

Table 6 level of severity for Types B damages

For block(1,3,5,7,8,11,13,15and 18)

Number of area is 9.
A1 = A2=A3=A4=A5=A6=A7=A8=A9=d2/4 = 1.42*/4=1.54m2
Atotal = £An= 9x3.14 =13.85m2
Area of block in road section is calculated as Ablock= Lblock * wblock
Ablock= 9m * 100m =900m2
Level of extent(%) is calculated as
Atotal/ Ablock* 100%=13.85m2/900m2* 100%=1.54%< 10%
Therefore, the level of extent for this block is one.
Where d is diameter in meter

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 Crack Types
of
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
damage

Alligato A 2 - 1 - 2 - 3 1 - -
r Crack

Extent 1 1 1 1 1

Severity 2 2 2 2 2

Table 7 Collected detail survey data for potholes crack.

Severity level Numbers of potholes Maximum

Diameters(cm)

Low 1-5 0-30

Medium 1-5 30-100

High 5-10 30-100

Table 8 levels of severity for potholes.

Note:-Potholes is measured by square meter.

GVI (Global visual index) is calculated for a specified length of road from
1. Cracking index, If
2. Deformation index
Deformation index(Id).

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To determine Is

If 0 1-2 3 4-5

Id

1-2

4-5

GVI (Is)=1-2, take Is=3

Therefore, our selected road section (i.e, from eyerusalem square to nigist
elleni hospital requires simple maintenance based on ERA design
manual 2013.

2.6 CHALLENGES WE FACED DURING OUR PRACTICAL

WORK

 Repetition of the to measure the distress type, extent, and severity.

 Unable to get correct data record.

 Lack of previous performance and experience which means unfamiliarly with

field practice.

 Repetition of similarly types of distress within one block and with route.

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 CHAPTER THREE

3. Conclusion And Recommendation

3.1 Conclusion

The conclusion can be made from the observation of the pavement condition survey
from Start from eyerusalem square to nigist elleni hospital.
Also the area was covered by a lot of potholes.
And other type of crack such that alligator, edge crack is grouped under low
severity and extent.
The high way mini project helps us to practically understand the theory which learned in
the class and develop self-confidence and introduce us to the highway pavement distress,
determination their type, extent and severity and cause and solution for distress therefore,
from 1km recorded different type of pavement distress as alligator crack, edge crack,
pothole and rivaling.
Generally a good pavement distress survey will collect data necessary to:-
Identify roads which requires preventive routine maintenance activities such as
asphalt over layers, seal, etc. these roads can be listed in order of priority and the
maintenance activities can be schedule.
Identify roads which need major rehabilitation or reconstruction these roads will
have deteriorated to the point that maintenance work is required to raise the condition
to an acceptable level.

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3.2 Recommendation

We strongly recommended to Hosanna transportation office the following problem which

needs solution that we have seen during the detail pavement survey condition From

eyerusalem square to nigist elleni hospital.

As we tried to research and the factors affecting the quality of highway pavement
performance those are:-
Environment effect, material quality,sub-grade, drainage elevation, etc.
There is elevation when we compare the highway edges which is also cause the drainage,
so; solving the drainage problem is also solution.
There is design error, why because they do not consider the drainage.
.

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3.3 Reference

ERA Design manual standard 2013.

Lecture Handout from Wachemo University; prepared by
“Pavement Rehabilitation And Asphalt Overlay Design Manual” by Ethiopian Roads
Authority published in 2013

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