This survey will help you: Understand
the reasons pavement life is shortened
Evaluate your pavement’s condition and maintenance needs
Give you ideas on how you can extend the life of your asphalt
Enter a number from 1 to
5 that best describes the condition of your pavement for each
type of problem area (1 = NONE and 5
= EXTENSIVE)
Raveling:
The on-going separation of aggregate particles
from the pavement’s surface
1 2 3 4
5
Cause:
Repair:
Prevention:
Water penetrates
unprotected pavement surface.
Sealcoating will prevent raveling.
Application of sealer after new asphalt has cured.
Polished Aggregate:
Aggregate in pavement has been smoothed resulting
in slick, unsafe surface surface
1 2 3 4
5
Cause:
Repair:
& Prevention
Repeated
traffic polishes aggregate.
Use a special bonding primer to gain adhesion,
then sealcoat.
Gas & Oil Stains:
Unsightly stains that weaken the surface
1 2 3 4
5
Cause:
Repair:
Prevention:
Oil dripping from vehicles.
Depending on the severity, patching or the application of special
oil resistant bonding primer prior to sealcoating.
Sealcoat over oil resistant primer as quickly as possible after
new asphalt has been laid.
Various factors may be the cause: pavement movement, shrinkage
of asphalt mix due to oxidation, weak or weathered joints, extreme
temperature changes and/or surface layer movement.
Depending on severity, patch or seal cracks, a sealcoat might be
necessary.
Depending on the type of cracks your pavement has, proper prevention
varies. Ensure proper pavement installation, consider the use of
reinforced fabric prior to surfacing, timely crack filling, sealcoating,
sealer applications.
Potholes:
Bowl-shaped holes of various sizes
1 2 3 4
5
Cause:
Repair:
Prevention:
Poor drainage, insufficient pavement thickness, negligence of
crack sealing and sealcoating.
Localized low areas that are limited in size,
often indicated by standing water
1 2 3 4
5
Cause:
Repair:
Prevention:
Traffic may be heavier than the pavement was designed for, or
a localized subsurface drainage problem may exist.
Based on field inspection, either correct drainage problem and repair
pavement, or correct grade by localized leveling.
Proper pavement design and construction with emphasis on traffic
load and drainage.
Corrugation/Rutting:
A fairly regular pattern of wave-like bumps
1 2 3 4
5
Cause:
Repair:
Prevention:
Lack of stability in asphalt layer.
Removal and replacement of pavement.
Proper pavement design and construction.
Take
a minute to add up the numbers you entered. Your total will give
you a basic idea of how urgent your maintenance needs may be.
Total Points
How
does your pavement stand up? 7-14
E X C E L L E N T C O N D I T I O N
The secret to protecting it
from future deterioration is to sealcoat. The sealer serves your
pavement
much in the same way as paint protects the wood and other exposed
surfaces of your building.
Without the paint, wooden areas will rot; likewise; without the
pavement sealer your asphalt will
deteriorate from the influences of the elements and chemicals at
an accelerated rate.
15-21
G O O D C O N D I T I O N Usually,
you’ll find that pavement in this state is characterized by random
cracks of up to ½-inch in
width, and raveled aggregate. The key to remedying these pavement
problems is to professionally
clean the cracks, removing any vegetation, and fill the cracks with
an industrial grade crack filler.
After the cracks are filled, the lot should be covered with an asphalt
overlay or a sealcoat to prevent
further damage.
22-28
F A I R C O N D I T I O N This
pavement may contain random cracks, raveled aggregate, depressions,
local alligator areas,
potholes and perhaps, upheaval. The first step in saving this paved
area is to construct a full-depth
asphalt repair where needed, taking care to resolve any problems
with the subgrade, restoring the areas
to the proper cross-section by applying a leveling or wedge course,
which is an asphalt layer variable
thickness. Cracks should be filled and finally, and asphalt overlay
or sealcoat should be applied.
29-35
P O O R C O N D I T I O N If
your pavement has numerous, severe problems, the most efficient
way of dealing with it may be to
repave. Before doing this, you’ll want to make sure problem-causing
conditions, such as poor drainage or
inadequate underlying soil conditions, are corrected. Once the asphalt
is laid, you should protect your
pavement from needless deterioration by having is sealcoated. With
proper maintenance, you’ll find your
new pavement to be a lasting addition and enhancement to your property
investment.
1.
