What can be done to prevent rutting at high stress intersections (bus lanes, industrial traffic, etc.?
A. Some urban intersections with heavy pavement loadings from trucks and buses that slow down, stop, start and turn in a relatively small area at stop signs and traffic lights are very prone to rutting, pushing and shoving of the mix if the pavement structure and mix type are not suitable for the stresses being applied. Existing intersections that repeatedly rut after a short time following repairs often need to have a “forensic” examination done to determine the cause of the pavement failure. This involves cutting a slice out of the problem area pavement (down to the subgrade) toallow a visual analysis of the failed area. A determination can then be made as to whether the pavement deformation goes all the way through the asphalt and base down to the subgrade or whether only the surface layer is affected. If the problem is limited to the surface layer, it is indicative that the mix type or design is not adequate for the loadings being applied. The remedy would then be to replace the su
