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Pavement Lifecycle

Fatigue

As water penetrates through open cracks, and the base is weakened by the saturation, the surface asphalt is required to absorb more of the load stress to compensate for the reduction in load-bearing capability of the saturated base structure.

This combination of factors accelerates the rate to failure of the asphalt. These areas typically present cracking that is often referred to as alligator cracking or spiderwebbing, due to the appearance of the cracks resembling the back of an alligator or a spiderweb.

These are the typical target areas for repairs since they are the most likely to open into holes or exhibit other signs of significant failure.