What are the most significant contributors to pavement deterioration?
There are many factors that lead to premature asphalt pavement deterioration. There is no exact order that these can be put in but generally speaking they are: • Original construction quality. • Heavy loads placed upon the pavement (a fully loaded tractor-trailer or trash truck exerts as much deteriorating force on a pavement as 10,000 cars). • Petroleum spills, since asphalt is an oil based material, any oil based product that is spilled upon it will dissolve the cement that bonds the asphalt together and cause premature failures. • Cracks. Asphalt is a flexible pavement and cracks are a natural part of the aging process. Left unfilled, these cracks will allow water penetration into the sub-base which will prematurely cause potholes and other types of extensive pavement failure.
