1. Crocodile Cracking
Crocodile Cracking, a pattern of interconnected cracking, is often an indication of pavement failure beneath the immediate asphalt surface. It often develops when the pavement foundations are weakened, overloaded or exposed to large quantities of repeat traffic. When left untreated, Crocodile Cracking allows water to penetrate the Asphalts surface, deeper into the pavements structure and causing even more damage. Without remedial work being carried out to stop this destruction, the cracking and failure will accelerate and, in every case, require far more extensive repair works in the long run.
Cracks and Crocodile Cracking can be cosmetically repaired through a Crack Seal, as long as the damage is not too advanced, and the seal can properly fill the crack, reducing much of the water penetration and surface degradation. Crocodile Cracking, in some cases with a depression in the surface like a Pothole, may also be temporarily repaired by filling and laying fresh asphalt onto the damaged roadway. In all cases however, it is best and often just as efficient, to complete a Permanent Repair on a damaged roadway through Resurfacing the old Asphalt with a new layer, and in extreme cases, Reconstruction of the road base as well. A permanent repair will also take a few hours to a day or two to complete, like a cosmetic repair, however, will address issues with substrate and extend the life of the entire roadway for many years to come.
2. Pooling Water
Pooling or standing water occurs when rainwater collects on the asphalts surface instead of flowing toward drainage points like gutters. Pooling water can appear for several reasons as it is often the symptom of deeper-rooted issues with the pavement’s substructure, often being points of depression where it has failed.
Areas on the asphalts surface where pooling water occurs can quickly develop into further cracking and potholing, especially when exacerbated by high traffic in areas like main roadways. The longer standing or pooling water is ignored, the more likely it is that water will penetrate through to the pavement foundations and accelerate the deterioration of the roadway. Many cases of pooling water can be fixed through simple asphalt repairs, however, should it be left to cause potholing and cracking, the entire roads structure may have to be restored. A costly concern to leave unresolved.
3. Light Duty Pavement, Heavy Duty Vehicles
If your asphalt pavement is a lighter duty pavement and starts regularly being exposed to heavy vehicles like trucks or industrial machinery, it will quickly begin to fail under the load weight. Such traffic, common on busy roads, motorways, or industrial sites, require heavy duty pavement typologies that will be able to resist cracking, rutting, depressions and premature pavement failure, far better.
Whilst upgrading the entire pavement system would be the best solution, it is also possible to get commercial asphalt repairs to sections or patches of the roadway to replace areas that are no longer supporting vehicle load. As this is a cometic repair that doesn’t fully fix the root cause, it cannot be expected to perform as well as a heavy-duty pavement would, however it will still extend the lifetime of the existing pavement. The long-term solution to having the incorrect pavement typology, would be to reconstruct the roadway entirely so that the pavement is appropriately heavy duty.
4. Potholing
Damaged or failing asphalt surfaces can result in potholes that vary in shape and size. Often, they are sites where asphalt has been damaged, depressed, cracked or weathered usually by water, and is likely the symptom of a larger issue with the roadways sub-structure. Moisture can penetrate in surface cracks or through the expansion and contraction of the pavements sub-structure, creating faults where it collects and pools. The repetitious movement of vehicles across the surface loosens the bitumen stones and forms the pothole.
The neglect of a pothole will always lead to issues down the line, so there are two ways of addressing them: a Cosmetic Repair or a Permanent Repair. A Cosmetic Repair is best suited to potholes that require an immediate solution and involves a superficial fix by way of filling the hole with more asphalt. This kind of emergency repair, used to reduce immediate safety concerns associated with potholes, can deteriorate quickly once again as the root issue of moisture penetration hasn’t been resolved. There are a few Permanent Repair solutions available however: Patch Repair or Resurfacing. A remedial Patch Repair will replace and resurface a localised area where the pothole is situated, but the most reliable solution remains Resurfacing a larger section of the roadway in order to prevent any re-failure through surface seams etc.
It is important to note that both a Cosmetic or Permanent Pothole Repair can be carried out in a matter of hours in many cases, avoiding large traffic disruption and returning the roadway to its full capacity.
5. Poor Drainage Infrastructure
Sometimes a roadways drainage system may be outgrown by the infrastructure and development surrounding it. Increased levels of urbanism, now so common throughout our cities, decrease natural water runoff as the ground is paved over, often redirecting stormwater to roadways. Without enough stormwater drainage strategies, roads will flood and often have water sit on the asphalt surface for an extended period until it either drains or evaporates.
This kind of issue is systematic, however there is works that can be done to upgrade a roadways drainage infrastructure. It is possible, through the Reconstruction of a roadway, to place more substantial Subsoil Drainage Lines, which will redirect stormwater through a pipe system, relieving buildup and pooling at the surface.