Defects and repair of asphalt concrete pavement

Here at "All about Concrete," we delve into all the information you require to understand the worlds of asphalt and concrete. This article explores a prevalent problem with asphalt concrete pavements: flaws and how to fix them. Because of its longevity and smooth surface, asphalt concrete is frequently used in road construction. However, over time, weathering, traffic volume, and poor construction can cause asphalt concrete to develop a variety of defects.

Cracking is one of the most common flaws in asphalt concrete pavement. A number of factors, such as shrinkage from temperature changes, high traffic volumes leading to fatigue, or subpar original construction, can cause cracks to appear. In addition to degrading the pavement’s appearance, these cracks jeopardize its structural stability and could cause more harm if they are not fixed right away.

Potholes, which are holes or depressions in the pavement surface, are another serious problem. Potholes are frequently caused by a combination of traffic loads, freeze-thaw cycles, and water infiltration. They present risks to both cars and pedestrians, so prompt repair is necessary to preserve safety and increase the pavement’s lifespan.

Another prevalent flaw in asphalt concrete pavements is surface rutting. It appears as longitudinal depressions or wheel tracks, which are mainly brought on by excessive traffic loads and shoddy pavement construction. In addition to degrading the road’s overall smoothness, rutting raises the possibility of hydroplaning and decreases driver comfort.

Depending on the degree and kind of damage, different repair methods are used to effectively address these defects. To stop water intrusion and additional degradation, techniques like crack sealing or filling with specialized materials are applied to cracks. In order to repair potholes and restore the pavement surface, the area must be cleaned, appropriate asphalt mixtures must be filled, and the area must be compacted.

Rutting may necessitate more drastic measures, such as milling the affected area to remove the rutted pavement layers and overlaying with new asphalt mix to restore the desired strength and surface profile, especially in high-traffic areas. In addition to extending the lifespan of asphalt concrete pavements, proper maintenance and prompt repairs guarantee everyone using the road can travel safely and comfortably.

Keep checking back as we examine these repair methods and more, offering advice on how to keep dependable and long-lasting asphalt concrete pavements. Anyone interested in the infrastructure that supports our daily commutes and travels, or who works in road maintenance, must have a thorough understanding of these defects and their fixes.

Defect Repair Method
Potholes Clean the area, fill with asphalt mix, and compact
Cracks Clean the crack, apply sealant or filler
Rutting Remove the affected layer, replace with new asphalt, and compact
Raveling Remove loose material, apply a thin overlay, and compact
Depressions Fill with asphalt mix and compact

Causes of asphalt concrete destruction, types of repair

There are several causes behind the deterioration of asphalt concrete pavement.

Let’s enumerate the primary ones.

  1. Poor quality mixture, used during installation.
  2. Violations of installation technology.
  3. Mechanical damage.
  4. Overloads during operation.
  5. Stresses, arising from ice formation in pores and cracks at sub-zero temperatures. The situation is aggravated by the use of salt or other anti-icing reagents.
  6. Subsidence due to a foundation not made according to technology or incorrectly calculated for it.
  7. Deformations due to temperature differences.
  8. Subsidence due to increased soil moisture (floods, heavy rains).
  9. Loss of bitumen binder properties due to elevated temperature.
  10. Increased traffic intensity, or passage of vehicles with an axle load greater than the calculated one (including under seasonal or temperature restrictions).
  11. Loss of bitumen binder properties during long-term operation.
  12. Poor or untimely repairs.

Kindly take note! It is necessary to perform routine repairs on 2-3% of the coverage area each year, as demonstrated by practice. The road already requires significant repairs if the flaws take up more than 20% of the surface area. Resurfacing the pavement requires removing the entire layer or pavement altogether for major repairs.

There are three categories for pavement repairs: major, emergency, and scheduled (current).

Scheduled repairs

Carried out in temperate weather, ideally during the warm season, in order to remove minor flaws. Implementation done correctly and on time prolongs pavement life and reduces the possibility of serious flaws developing down the road.

Emergency repairs

It is done when serious flaws like those in the aforementioned picture arise on the road and endanger public safety. All year round, work is done under all kinds of conditions. However, SNiP does not impose any particular durability requirements for such asphalt concrete pavement repairs, particularly if the work was done during the winter.

Let’s look at the features of the technologies used today for planned and emergency repairs.

We examine common problems affecting asphalt roads and workable solutions for their repair in this article on "Defects and Repair of Asphalt Concrete Pavement" for "All about Concrete." Maintaining safe and long-lasting road surfaces requires an awareness of these flaws, which range from cracks and potholes to rutting and bleeding. We examine efficient repair methods, such as overlays, crack sealing, and patching, emphasizing the value of prompt maintenance to increase pavement longevity and guarantee safe, smooth driving conditions. Whether you’re a contractor, homeowner, or expert in road maintenance, this guide offers crucial tips for properly maintaining asphalt concrete pavements.

Sealing of cracks

One of the most straightforward—yet crucial—is asphalt concrete pavement repair. It must be done before the temperature drops because any water that seeps through the cracks will eventually cause potholes to form.

There are three phases to the technology:

  1. The crack is cleaned (blown out) from dust and debris.
  2. It is filled with a hot bitumen composition.
  3. The place where the repair of cracks in asphalt concrete pavements was carried out is sprinkled with sand or screenings.

Repair using hot asphalt concrete mixtures

Enables you to obtain the highest level of surface restoration quality.

Use these to plug potholes:

  1. Mixture prepared in stationary conditions, in winter, when asphalt concrete plants are not working, the material is unavailable;
  2. Cast mixture, heated on site;
  3. Asphalt concrete made by the recycling method. At the repair site, pieces of the coating (milling material) are heated and mixed with the addition of bitumen in special mobile units – recyclers.

This article’s video provides a detailed look at every step of the process.

The following operations are included in the technology:

  • Repair sites are marked out, observing the following rules:
  1. there should be no sharp corners;
  2. capture up to 5 cm of undamaged coating;
  3. neighboring defects are combined into one map.
  • Asphalt concrete pavement is dismantled according to the markings, for this purpose, jackhammers, manual or self-propelled milling machines are used.
  • If necessary, the edges of the cut section are verticalized (when a milling machine was used).
  • Clean the repair site from debris and dry it thoroughly. For this, air blowers, industrial hair dryers or simply burners are used.
  • The edges and bottom of the card are poured with heated bitumen or an emulsion based on it.
  • The mixture is laid and compacted (rolled). If the pavement is being repaired with cast asphalt concrete, then compaction is not necessary.
  • The joint is poured with emulsion and sprinkled with fine sand or screenings.
  1. quality of materials;
  2. temperature of the mixture (not lower than 115-120 o C), bitumen or emulsion (according to the passport for the material);
  3. quality of compaction.

Using cold mixtures

In this instance, unique cold compositions based on modified bitumen and polymer additives are utilized in place of hot mixtures.

  • They are laid without heating, this significantly speeds up the repair.
  • The mixtures allow work at sub-zero temperatures. But the repaired area does not have the same strength and water resistance, so this method is more often used in emergency situations and on roads of category 3 and below.
  • There is also a limitation on the size of patches, they should not be larger than 2 m 2 . Also, the price of these mixtures is higher than for hot ones. But simplification and acceleration of work almost eliminates the difference.
  • The estimate for repairs is almost the same. The technology of repair with these mixtures is the same as with hot ones.

Be aware that some producers of cold mixtures make quality guarantees without adding bitumen or compacting the material—rolling a vehicle’s wheels along a map after repair suffices. Still, it is preferable to perform these procedures.

It is not necessary to regulate the temperature during laying when using cold mixtures. However, it’s important to keep an eye on the mixture’s storage conditions and production date. When laying, the quality of repairs considerably declines after the warranty period has passed.

Impregnation method

The quickest and least effective method. Most frequently utilized for urgent repairs or when it takes a short while to restore a sizable portion of the road to a largely passable state. You can perform such fixes with your own hands, like repairing a path on the property.

The stages of the technology of execution are as follows:

  1. The pothole is cleaned from dust and debris using brushes or air blowers.
  2. Hot bitumen or emulsion is poured.
  3. Fine (fraction up to 15 mm) crushed stone is filled.
  4. If necessary, the previous operation is repeated several times until the pothole is completely filled.
  5. The repair site is compacted with a roller or vibratory platform.
  6. The repaired site is sprinkled with fine sand or screenings for armoring.

Suggestions. If you plan to perform this work yourself, use a water-based emulsion rather than pure bitumen. It doesn’t need to be dried out in the pothole and is fireproof, which is crucial when heating.

Jet injection method

The procedure is comparable to the impregnation repair procedure. offers high-quality repair and quick restoration of asphalt concrete pavement, but special machinery is needed. Usually, it is trailed or mounted on a truck’s base.

The units it has are as follows:

  1. A tank for bitumen or emulsion with a heating device;
  2. A hopper for crushed stone;
  3. A compressor;
  4. A spring-loaded retractable rod with a working element that feeds the mixture and handles for directing it to the repair area;
  5. A metering and distributing device, providing the supply of air and repair materials to the working element, in various combinations and with different pressures.

Two people work together to control the rod: a driver and a road worker.

The following points are the instructions for performing such repairs.

  1. The car drives up to the road defect so that it is within the access zone of the rod.
  2. A jet of air under high pressure blows dust and debris out of the pothole.
  3. The pothole is washed with emulsion under high pressure.
  4. Blowing is performed again.
  5. The emulsion is fed into the pothole again, but the pressure is lower, and it wets the surface.
  6. Under air pressure, which ensures good compaction, and mixing, the defect is filled with a mixture of emulsion and crushed stone.
  7. Clean crushed stone wakes up for booking a repair site.

Despite its longevity, asphalt concrete pavement is susceptible to a number of defects that can arise over time as a result of weathering, heavy traffic, and subpar construction techniques. In addition to degrading the pavement’s appearance, these flaws jeopardize its structural stability, raising questions about both pedestrian and vehicular safety.

It is essential to comprehend the different kinds of defects that can arise in order to develop efficient maintenance and repair plans. Cracking, potholes, rutting, and surface deterioration are typical problems. Each of these flaws needs a different approach to be fixed, taking into account the location on the pavement, the degree of damage, and any underlying issues like improper drainage or subpar materials.

Repairing flaws in asphalt concrete pavement requires a range of methods and supplies. As an illustration, crack filling and sealing are frequently employed to stop water intrusion and additional deterioration. Hot or cold mix asphalt is usually used to patch potholes, depending on the equipment and weather conditions. If the pavement has sustained significant damage or widespread surface deterioration, resurfacing or overlaying it might be required.

To increase asphalt concrete pavement’s lifespan and reduce repair costs, routine inspection and maintenance are crucial. Defects that are discovered early can be fixed quickly, preventing minor problems from growing into larger ones that need expensive and time-consuming repairs. Municipalities and property owners can guarantee everyone has access to safer and more durable roads by putting in place a proactive maintenance schedule.

In summary, resolving flaws in asphalt concrete pavement necessitates a methodical strategy that incorporates routine inspection, suitable repair methods, and preventative maintenance plans. By doing this, we can prolong the lifespan of our roads and maintain their safety and functionality, which will ultimately benefit the communities they serve.

Video on the topic

Pothole repair of roads in yard areas

Equipment for road repair, asphalt regeneration

Asphalt pavement repair

First defects on asphalt

CRF impregnating composition for repairing asphalt concrete pavements

Elimination of defects, holes and cracks in asphalt with your own hands.

How to seal holes with your own hands easily and simply! Pothole repair of asphalt.

Which aspect of concrete application are you most interested in?
Share to friends
Dmitry Sokolov

Chief engineer in a large construction company. I have extensive experience in managing construction projects and implementing modern technologies.

Rate author
StroyComfort1.com
Add a comment