How Do I Know a Crack is Patchable?

Asphalt paving distress is not uncommon. Over time, traffic and weather conditions cause all asphalt paving to distress, which mostly appears as cracks. However, different distress factors cause cracks in asphalt to appear in different ways.

Identifying the cracks through their appearance can help understand the cause of cracks, facilitating the implementation of the correct repair strategy. Some cracks are repairable, while others are not. Let’s take a look at the different kinds of asphalt paving cracks in detail to find out which ones can be repaired:

Block Cracking

As the name suggests, block cracking appears as large blocks on the pavement. The blocks are rectangular and large, with a width measuring at least one foot. Block cracking always covers a large area on the asphalt paving and occurs in areas that don’t experience a lot of traffic, such as Asphalt Parking Lots West Palm Beach.

The cause of block cracking is a lack of moisture. It can also occur due to the use of an old asphalt mix that loses moisture quicker than a newer asphalt mix.

Is Block Cracking Repairable?

Yes, block cracking can be easily repaired through surface treatments that seal the cracks and provide moisture to the asphalt to prevent future block cracks.

Fatigue Cracking

Fatigue cracking appears as small cracks in a particular area. As fatigue cracking spreads, it can resemble the skin of a crocodile. Hence, it is also called crocodile cracking.

Fatigue cracking occurs due to a flaw in the design or installation of asphalt paving. Weather changes and poor drainage can also contribute to the appearance of or worsening fatigue cracking.

Is Fatigue Cracking Repairable?

Since fatigue cracking appears due to a design or installation flaw, it cannot be repaired cosmetically. Instead, it requires full, deep patch repair. Correctly designing and installing asphalt in the new patch can help prevent fatigue cracking in the future.

Edge Cracking

Edge cracking appears at the edge of the asphalt-paved roads. It can run the entire length of the distressed road. It can be caused by various reasons, including dried and shrunk soil under the road, excess traffic, vegetation along the edge of the road, and poor drainage.

Is Edge Cracking Repairable?

Yes, edge cracking is repairable. However, the repair methods depend on the cause of edge cracking.

If it occurs due to vegetation, the vegetation should be removed. In case the cause is poor drainage, appropriate methods are required to ensure proper drainage along the roadside. Dried and shrunk soil can be treated and sealed with asphalt emulsion and crack seal.

Reflection Cracking

Reflection cracking occurs as cracking along the asphalt pavement surface. This cracking mirrors sub-layer joints, shifting in sub-layers, or sub-layer cracking. If left untreated, reflection cracking can be dangerous for the traffic using asphalt paving.

Is Reflection Cracking Repairable? 

Yes, reflection cracking can be easily repaired through asphalt fill mixtures and sealants. The fill mixtures and sealants can prevent further moisture loss from the asphalt paving and keep the surface from breaching and becoming dangerous to use.

Linear Cracking

Linear cracking occurs at the joints of asphalt paving. It mainly occurs due to improper construction of joints in the asphalt paving.

Asphalt paving is laid as large strips or sections. The joints between these sections require special attention to hold the asphalt strips properly. However, poor construction of the joints between the asphalt sections results in linear cracking.

Factors such as shrinkage of asphalt paving surface and weather changes can also worsen these cracks. In addition, poor drainage around the pavement can also cause cracking.

Depending on how the strips or sections of asphalt are laid, the appearance of the linear cracking can vary. Hence, it can also be called longitudinal cracking.

Is Linear Cracking Repairable?

Yes, linear cracking can be repaired by fixing the section joints between asphalt paving sections. Sand or emulsion in combination with asphalt can also fill linear cracks. Moreover, improving the drainage around the road can also prevent further linear cracking.

Slippage Cracking

Slippage cracking makes asphalt paving appear as if it is slipping. There can be wrinkles or open gaps in the slippage cracking.

Slippage cracking occurs due to using too much sand in the asphalt mix. The excessive sand doesn’t let the top later adhere to the layer beneath it correctly.

Is Slippage Cracking Repairable?

Depending on the damage, slippage cracking may or may not be repairable. If the damage is insignificant, a new layer of asphalt paving can fix it. On the other hand, severe damage may require full-depth patches.

Hiring a trusted asphalt paving contractor can reduce the chances of all kinds of asphalt cracking in Asphalt Parking Lots West Palm Beach or other spaces. Call Trinity Asphalt Paving for your paving requirements for safe and quality paving work. Call 561 889-2615 today to get a free estimate.