Page 3 - Pavement Protection System Brochure

Water is the most destructive element to our pavements.

The only way to extend the current life of a paved road is to prevent
water intrusion. Filling or sealing pavement cracks to prevent water
from entering the base and sub base will extend pavement life by
more than five years. Sealing will last longer and cost less. Crack
sealing can reduce pavement deterioration by restricting water
penetration into the underlying base and sub base layers. These
benefits are realized in the extended duration of the road
surface.

The compression of the molecules in an asphalt surface seal are
not highly compressed, this lack of compression results in
“spaces” existing between the particles, these are referred to as
“voids” or “pores”. This is referred to as the “porosity” of the
surface. These voids are where water resides in the surface, these
voids of space allow water to enter and start to creep through the
surface layer, causing oxidation and cracking which further leads
to an effect called “alligator cracking”.

ALLIGATOR CRACKING
ALLIGATOR CRACKING
ALLIGATOR CRACKING
Alligator cracking is a series of interconnection cracks that begin at the
bottom of the asphalt surface (base) where they appear on the surface as a
series of parallel longitudinal cracks. After repeat traffic and loading, the cracks
connect forming a multi-sided pattern or from the origin of the name “the skin of an
“alligator”.

Alligator Cracking is considered a major structural distress. This distress can be of varying severity
as demonstrated below.

LOW SEVERITY MEDIUM SEVERITY HIGH SEVERITY
FINE LONGITUDINAL FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF POTHOLE FORMATION
HAIRLINE CRACKS CRACKS INTO A PATTERN OR

S S
S O I L S O L U T I O N SO I L S O L U T I O N SO I L S O L U T I O N S ® ® ®
ENGINEERED BASE STABILIZERENGINEERED BASE STABILIZER BASE STABILIZER Consider it Solved.
ENGINEERED