The purpose of sealing cracks in asphalt is to protect the structure of the pavement from premature failure. Cracks left unsealed allow water intrusion and incompressible debris retention in the crack opening. Water in the cracks can penetrate into the base materials creating a loss of strength in these materials. The undermined pavement structure can result in load-related failures such as fatigue or “alligator” cracking. The retention of incompressible debris in the crack causes the pavement to heave at the cracks edges as the pavement expands due to thermal changes. These failures and deficiencies decrease the lifespan of the pavement and raise the overall cost by requiring increased maintenance, or replacement.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 00:01:02 +0000