It has been estimated that ninety percent (90%) of asphalt roads in the United Sates have significant problems due to the deterioration of the base and sub-base material because of water infiltration.
Pavements where cracks have not been sealed, offer many routes for water entry into the base and sub-base courses. Water will penetrate through cracks that are over 1/8th to ¼ inch wide. Finer cracks also allow water infiltration into the pavement through the pumping action of the traffic; the surface water is pushed into the cracks when vehicles pass over the cracks. For cracks larger than ¼ inch, water flows in under gravity into the surface and the base course. Once water enters the base, the aggregate (limestone) absorb the water expand in volume and become soft, thus causing internal stress which accelerates the development of more and larger cracks.
There is no assurance that the pavement is not damaged if it looks fine on the surface. Not all deterioration will be visible. A study by Ontario’s Ministry of Transpiration, reported that on heavy traffic roads, half or more of the original asphalt pavement may disintegrate from the bottom up. In regions with extensive freeze-thaw cycles, with continuous thermal expansion and contraction of the pavement, the base and sub-base deteriorate much faster than in regions with moderate climates.
De-icing salts used in winter months further aggravate the problem. De-icing salt mixes with snow and forms a brine solution, which gets into the pavement and slightly melts ice in the base course. This produces even more thermal movement within the crack. The pavement weakened by a saturated base may experience localized failures when subjected to traffic. All cracked pavements will disintegrate and spall to various degrees depending upon the traffic volume or weight of the traffic load.
PTG is here for your pavement deteriorating needs. Please call us for a proposal request or visit our website at www.mypavementguy.com.
If you have any further questions about Pavement Deterioration or Asphalt Crack Sealing or have a project that you need completed, then contact PTG Enterprises aka My Pavement Guy today by calling 410-636-8777 or click here today! The asphalt experts here have managed hundreds of pavement projects and have the experience you need.
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