Five Types of Pavement Cracking

Five Types of Pavement Cracking

Five Types of Pavement Cracking

Have you noticed cracks in the parking lot of your business?  You should spend time inspecting your paved surfaces on a routine basis to look for any cracks, potholes, divots, or ruts that can destroy the pavement if neglected.  When you notice these issues, you will want to tend to them immediately by performing asphalt repairs in Sanford to remedy the problem.  If these issues are neglected, your pavement may suffer from extensive damage, as the cracks will allow chemicals, water, and other contaminants to degrade the quality of the sublayers in your asphalt.  There are a few types of pavement cracking to look out for.  

Block Cracking

You can spot block cracking by looking for squares or circles of inside the cracks of your asphalt surfaces.  This is typically caused when old mix or not waiting the proper amount of time to dry before the surface was used.  When you are concerned about this issue, you will want to look at the cracking about two to three years after the asphalt is laid.  This issue can be repaired with a layer of sealcoating.

Reflection Cracking

The name says it all.  This type of cracking is when the cracks in the asphalt mirror the sub-layer cracking or the sub-layer joints.  If the cracks look like a grid, this is a good indication that you are dealing with reflection cracking.  You will want to fill these cracks with sealant to prevent moisture from seeping down any further and destroying the asphalt underneath.  

Edge Cracking

Are the majority of your cracks located at the edge of the asphalt surface?  These are most likely edge cracks.  These cracks can be long and run parallel to the road.  You can fill these cracks with asphalt seal or emulsion.  When filling these cracks, you will also want to consider fixing the draining problem, as these cracks were like the result of poor drainage.

Fatigue Cracking

Do you notice many small cracks that appear in only in one area?  These cracks are typically referred to alligator cracks because of their resemblance to the skin of an alligator, and they are most frequently caused by heavy weights from traffic or fluctuations in extreme temperatures.  Unfortunately, these cracks indicate that the entire structure of your asphalt surface is likely compromised.  You will need to patch these extensively, making sure to strengthen the supports underneath the surface in order to prevent any further issues from arising.  

Slippage Cracking

Slippage cracks look like a collection of wrinkles and wide, open gaps in the asphalt.  These cracks occur when the top layer of the surface doesn't adhere to the sub-layers.  Typically, these cracks can be repaired with patches.

These are some of the most common types of pavement cracking that could affect your roadways, parking lots, or driveways.  If you notice any of these issues, you will want to have asphalt repairs in Sanford as soon as possible.  Contact the professionals at Florida Seal Coating today.