4/3/2021

Materials for Highway Facility

Lectures # 13

Maintenance of Bituminous Surfacing

Lecturer: Dr. Hardy Kamal Karim

Ph.D in Highway Engineering
University of Sulaimani
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Typical Surface Distresses in Flexible

Pavements

Loss of
Cracking Distortion Disintegration skid
resistance

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Cracks

Linear Wheel
Paving Joint

Helical or
Shrinkage
Reflective

Diagonal
Widening
Alligator

Slippage
Edge

Path
&

Type Description
Spray of diluted asphalt emulsion on existing
Fog Seal
pavement surface
Spray coat of asphalt emulsion (or asphalt cement
or cutback)
Cheap Seal
followed with aggregate layer
Mixture of emulsion, well-graded fine aggregate
Slurry Seal
and water
Mixture of polymer modified emulsion, well
Micro Surfacing graded crushed
fine aggregate, mineral filler, water, and additives

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1) Alligator (fatigue) cracking:

• Interconnected cracks forming polygonal blocks, the pattern of
which resembles an alligator’s skin.

Causes:
• Excessive movement of base or subbase layer
• Base saturation
• Excessive loads over weathered surfacing
• Inadequate pavement thickness

Remedy:
• Fill cracks with bitumen emulsion or cut-
back bitumen
• Apply slurry seal or sand-bitumen mix
• Install drainage

Note: when the alligator cracks are extensive, the treatment may
consist of:
a) Replacing all asphalt layers,
b) Replacing part of asphalt layers or
c) Placing an asphalt overlay, provided pavement elevation permits.
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2) Edge cracks:
• Parallel to outer edges of pavement 30 to 50 cm inside

Causes:
• Lack of lateral support from shoulder
• Poor surface drainage
• Base saturation shrinkage
• Frost heave
• Inadequate pavement width

Remedy:
• Rectify drainage system
• Provide hard and paved shoulders
• Fill cracks and lay premix carpet with seal coat
• If edge of the pavement has settled, bring it up to the
desired grade with plant mix patching material

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3) Paving joint and widening cracking:

• Appears at construction joints between paving lanes or at

pavement widening

Causes:
• Poor construction
• Lack of material at the
joint
• Poor or insufficient
adhesion of the vertical
surfaces of the joint
(weak bond in the joint)
• Insufficient compaction
at the joint.
• The temperature
difference between lanes

Remedy:
• Sealing

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4) Reflective cracks:

• Usually in over-lays over cement concrete or badly cracked

bituminous base

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Causes:
• Due to joints and cracks in the pavement layer underneath

Remedy:
• Fill cracks and seal suitably depending on size of crack
• Apply a crack relief layer for prevention of such cracks

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5) Slippage cracking:

• Crescent-shaped (half-moon) cracks formed owing to the

slippage of the asphalt layer

• Usually develop in areas where horizontal forces induced by

traffic develop (heavy braking areas, downhills, uphills and
junctions).

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Causes:
• Lack of bond between layers due to omission
or inadequacy of tack-coat or prime coat
• Dust or moisture in between layers
• Heavy thrust by traffic

Remedy:
• Remove affected area
• Apply tack coat and patch with premix

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6) Shrinkage cracking:

• Transverse direction or inter-connected cracks in large

blocks

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Causes:
• Shrinkage of bituminous layer cause by volume change of
bituminous mix with high content of hard bitumen
• Lack of traffic

Remedy:
• Apply slurry seal or sand-bitumen mix for filling such
cracks

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7) Linear wheel path cracks:

• Develop along the wheel paths of the near side lane, not always
simultaneously, and consist of a single longitudinal crack with
small braches.
• Linear wheel path cracks are exclusively fatigue cracks and,
when left untreated, soon change to an alligator
• cracking pattern.

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Causes:
• Causes same as those of alligator (fatigue)

Remedy:
• crack sealing

Note: The treatment will certainly delay the imminent

formation of alligator cracking, provided the cracks are sealed
as soon as they appear.

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8) Helical or diagonal cracks:

• Usually start from the center of the pavement and run away
• towards the pavement edge or diverge from the longitudinal axis
• in other cases, they may run diagonally across the pavement They
are exclusively formed in pavements constructed on medium to
high embankments or cut/fill
• They are not load-related cracks.

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Causes:
• Instability or settlement of the embankment

Remedy:
• Crack sealing or milling out a narrow zone to a certain depth
and then filling it with hot asphalt

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Surface Distorsions

Depression
Depression

Utility Cut
Corrugation

Upheaval
Shallow
Rutting

Shoving

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1) Rutting:

• Longitudinal depressions or grooves in wheel tracks

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Causes:
• Heavy channelized traffic
• Low stability of mix due to inadequate compaction
• Weak pavement
• High intensity of load stress as from bullock carts
• Plastic deformation

Remedy:
• Fill ruts with premix carpet and compact
• Relay affected portion with bituminous mix of good
stability if necessary

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2) Corrugations:

• Regular undulations causing shallow wavy surface

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Causes:
• Lack of stability in mix
• Excess binder / fines
• Soft bitumen
• Poor aggregate interlock
• Oscillations set up by vehicles
• Frequent braking of vehicles
• Faulty laying of mix

Remedy:
• Scarify and rely the surface
• Cut high spots and fill low spots
• Use heater planer to rectify defects

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3) Shoving:

• Plastic movement within surface resulting in localized bulging

of surface, occurring commonly at bus stops, intersections,
sharp curves, steep gradients

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Causes:
• Lack of stability in mix
• Excess binder / fines
• Softer grade bitumen
• Lack of bond between layers
• Heavy traffic with frequent braking
• Sharp negotiation of curves and gradients

Remedy:
• Remove affected portion and relay with premix carpet and
compact

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4) Shallow depressions:

• Localized and limited in size dipping about 25 mm or more

below desired profile

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Causes:
• Heavier traffic
• Settlement of lower pavement layers
• Poor construction method

Remedy:
• Fill with premix carpet and compact to desired grade
and profile

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5) Upheaval:

• Upward pavement displacement, usually occurring locally.

• Soon, surface cracking is developed in the same area.

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Causes:
• Swelling of the subgrade owing to the moisture effect on
expansive soils.

Remedy:
• Excavating the pavement down to the subgrade level,
• Stabilizing or replacing the subgrade material,
• Correcting moisture conditions at the subgrade level and
• Reconstructing the pavement.
• Temporarily, milling out the area may be applied, covered by
surface dressing or micro-surfacing.

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6) Utility cut depressions:

• Failure of utility installation (water, gas, electricity supply, etc.).

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Causes:
• Almost exclusively the inadequate compaction of the back fill
material or the asphalt patch

Remedy:
• Remove of asphalt patch,
• Proper re-compact of the backfill material and
• Place of new asphalt patch compacted adequately

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Disintegration

Raveling Pothole

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1) Raveling:

• Progressive disintegration of premix carpet by loss of

aggregates

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Causes:
• Insufficient binder
• Ageing of binder
• Overheated bituminous mix
• Improper coating
• Inferior aggregates
• Lack of compaction while laying
• Construction during cold weather

Remedy:
• If raveling is not extensive, provide surface dressing, sand-
bitumen mix or slurry-seal
• For extensive raveling, apply renewal coat of premix carpet

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2) Potholes:

• Bowl shaped holes of varying sizes on surface and extending to

base course resulting from localized disintegration

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Causes:
• Poor surface drainage
• Localized defects in bituminous mix
• Insufficient binder
• Insufficient layer thickness

Remedy:
• Fill potholes with premix carpet, after cutting these to
regular size and applying tack coat
• Fill deep pot-holes with bituminous penetration macadam
or storable mix

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Loss of Surface Skid Resistance

Bleeding or
Smooth Surface
Flushing

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1) Smooth Surfaces:
Causes:
• Polishing of aggregates by traffic
• Excess binder
Remedy:
• Resurface with premix carpet using hard aggregates or with
slurry seal

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2) Bleeding or flushing:

• upward movement of bitumen and its appearance in the

surface of the pavement

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Causes:
• Excess bitumen
• Soft grade of bitumen
• Non-uniform spraying and loss of cover aggregates as in
surface dressing
• Heavy axle loads

Remedy:
• Apply hot dry cover aggregates or sand and roll gently for
removal of excess binder
• Burn it if necessary or relay area affected

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