Concrete Pavement Distresses

Concrete Pavement Distresses

Team of Writers :

Team of Writers:

Mehran Hatami

Dr.Zia Alavi

Rozhin Falahati

پریسا شیخ معماری

introduction

Concrete pavements offer numerous advantages, including durability, high load-carrying capacity, and low life-cycle costs. However, due to various environmental and loading factors, they are susceptible to a range of distresses over time. These distresses manifest as visible alterations in the pavement surface or structure, impacting its functionality, safety, and aesthetics. Understanding and identifying these distresses are crucial for effective pavement management, enabling timely maintenance and repair interventions.

Concrete pavement distresses can be broadly categorized into three main groups:

  1. Cracking: This is the most prevalent distress type, encompassing various manifestations such as transverse, longitudinal, corner, and fatigue cracking. Cracking can be attributed to factors like thermal and load-induced stresses, shrinkage during curing, and inadequate joint support.

  2. Surface Defects: These distresses encompass visible surface deterioration not typically associated with cracking. Examples include scaling, popouts, and faulting. Scaling involves the flaking or spalling of the concrete surface, often due to improper curing, freeze-thaw cycles, or the use of deicing salts. Popouts are localized areas of concrete loss, while faulting refers to uneven displacement between adjacent slabs.

  3. Functional Distresses: These distresses primarily affect the pavement’s ability to serve its intended function, impacting ride quality and safety. Examples include rutting, joint spalling, and loss of skid resistance. Rutting manifests as longitudinal depressions in the wheel paths, while joint spalling involves the deterioration of joint edges. Loss of skid resistance, often caused by wear or polishing of the aggregate surface, reduces the pavement’s friction and increases the risk of accidents.

Further research into the specific causes, mechanisms, and mitigation strategies for each type of concrete pavement distress is essential for optimizing pavement design, construction, and maintenance practices. By proactively addressing these distresses, engineers can ensure the long-term performance, safety, and sustainability of concrete pavements.

Table of Contents

Joint Seal Damage

Unit of Measure

  • Joint width (mm)
  • Crack length 
  • width (mm)
  • Number

Description

Joint seal damage within concrete pavements falls under the category of functional failures. Primarily a result of loading factors, this distress can be exacerbated by environmental changes. Joint seal damage occurs when the sealant material that protects the joint from water infiltration and debris intrusion deteriorates or fails. This leads to a breakdown of the load transfer between slabs and compromised structural integrity of the pavement system.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

  • Inadequate Sealant Installation
  • Excessive Joint Movement
  • Age and Material Degradation
  • Debris Accumulation

Repair

LOW

Cleaning and resealing the joint with appropriate material.

MEDIUM

Removal of existing sealant, thorough cleaning of the joint, and replacement with new sealant.

HIGH

Extensive joint repair may be necessary, including addressing spalling and possibly widening the joint.

Joint seal damage with low severity
Joint seal damage with medium severity
Joint seal damage with high severity

LOW

Minor cracking or bubbling of the sealant, potentially some loss of adhesion, but no significant debris intrusion.

MEDIUM

 Considerable deterioration of the sealant, with material loss, hardening, and debris accumulation within the joint.

HIGH

Complete sealant failure, leaving the joint exposed to water intrusion, debris buildup, and causing potential spalling of the joint edges.

Pumping

Unit of Measure

  • Number

Description

Pumping is a functional failure of concrete pavements primarily resulting from a combination of loading and environmental factors. Pumping occurs when water infiltrates the pavement structure and becomes trapped beneath the slab. Under repeated traffic loads, this trapped water is pressurized and ejected at joints or cracks, carrying fine-grained materials (sand, silt, or clay) from the base or subbase layers. This process leads to a loss of support beneath the concrete slab.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

  • Excess Moisture (Poor drainage, a high water table, or infiltration through cracks)
  • Erodible Base Material
  • Inadequate Joint Sealing
  • Heavy Traffic Loads

Repair

LOW

Improve drainage, seal cracks and joints, and monitor progression.

MEDIUM

Subsealing or undersealing to stabilize the base, repair joints, and consider localized slab replacement if necessary.

HIGH

Major rehabilitation including subgrade stabilization, slab replacement, may be required in cases of extensive pumping and structural deterioration.

pumping damage with low severity
pumping damage with medium severity
pumping damage with high severity

LOW

Initial evidence of moisture at joints or cracks, minor staining of the pavement surface.

MEDIUM

Presence of fine-grained material deposits near joints or cracks, development of slight faulting.

HIGH

Pronounced buildup of eroded material, significant faulting causing unevenness, increased potential for cracking or spalling.

Durability cracking or D-cracking

Unit of Measure

  • Number of slabs
  • Area (m^2)

Description

Durability cracking ("D" cracking) is a structural failure primarily caused by environmental changes within the concrete pavement. "D" cracking manifests as a network of fine, crescent-shaped cracks that develop near joints, cracks, and free edges of the slab. This distress is the result of freeze-thaw cycles acting on susceptible coarse aggregates within the concrete mix, leading to their internal expansion and cracking.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

  • Freeze-Thaw Cycles
  • Susceptible Aggregates to absorb moisture and expand during freezing conditions
  • Poor Air Entrainment (Inadequate air voids within the concrete matrix)

Repair

LOW

Monitoring and localized surface sealing to limit further moisture ingress.

MEDIUM

Partial depth surface repairs or slab replacement in isolated areas may be needed.

HIGH

Extensive slab replacement or full-depth reconstruction is often required in cases of severe deterioration.

D-cracking with low severity
D-cracking with medium severity
D-cracking with high severity

LOW

Initial hairline cracks, often tightly spaced and concentrated near joints or cracks.

MEDIUM

Cracks become more pronounced, with some widening and potential for minor material loss or spalling.

HIGH

Extensive cracking pattern with considerable material displacement, spalling, and disintegration of the concrete near the affected areas.

Faulting

Unit of Measure

  •  vertical displacement (mm)

Description

 

Faulting in concrete pavements is classified as a functional failure, resulting from a combination of loading and environmental factors. Faulting refers to the differential vertical displacement between adjacent concrete slabs, often occurring at transverse joints or cracks. This creates a noticeable step or discontinuity at the slab edges, significantly affecting ride quality and pavement smoothness.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

  • Subgrade Support Issues
  • Inadequate Load Transfer (Ineffective dowel bars or insufficient joint support leading to differential slab movement under traffic loads)
  • Thermal Curling and Warping

Repair

LOW

Monitoring may be sufficient if faulting is stable.

MEDIUM

Slab grinding to restore smooth surface transitions. Undersealing or mudjacking to stabilize the subgrade may be needed.

HIGH

Grinding is usually insufficient. Full-depth repair or slab replacement may be necessary, addressing the root cause of support loss or load transfer

faulting damage with low severity
faulting damage with medium severity
faulting damage with high severity

LOW

 Minor height differential (typically under 5mm) perceptible upon traveling at normal speeds.

MEDIUM

Moderate difference (5-10mm), significantly affecting ride quality and inducing vehicle jolting.

HIGH

Pronounced displacement (above 10mm), posing potential safety hazards, accelerating vehicle wear, and increasing potential for slab cracking.

Scaling

Unit of Measure

  • Number
  • Area (m^2)

Description

Scaling in concrete pavements falls under the category of surface defects, primarily caused by environmental changes rather than direct loading. Scaling refers to the progressive deterioration and flaking of the concrete surface, typically affecting a depth of 3 to 13 millimeters. This distress can create a rough, uneven texture, compromising skid resistance and aesthetics.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

  • Freeze-Thaw Cycles
  • Improper Curing
  • Deicing Salts
  • Use of Unsuitable Aggregates

Repair

LOW

Monitoring and preventive measures such as proper sealing or overlays may be sufficient.

MEDIUM

Milling or grinding to remove the deteriorated surface layer, followed by patching or resurfacing.

HIGH

 Extensive reconstruction or full-depth replacement may be necessary depending on the severity of damage and potential loss of structural integrity.

Full investigation of scaling damage with low severity
scaling damage with medium severity
scaling damage with high severity

LOW

 Isolated areas of shallow surface flaking, with minimal impact on texture or functionality.

MEDIUM

More widespread and pronounced flaking, affecting up to 50% of the surface and potentially causing minor exposure of coarse aggregate.

HIGH

Extensive flaking encompassing a large portion of the surface, often accompanied by deeper spalling and exposure of the underlying aggregate matrix, significantly affecting texture and potentially compromising structural integrity.

Corner Break

Unit of Measure

  • Number

Description

Corner break, classified as a structural failure, is primarily caused by a combination of loading and environmental factors in concrete pavements.A corner break manifests as a diagonal crack typically originating from a corner of the concrete slab, intersecting both a transverse and a longitudinal joint within a short distance (usually less than 2 meters). This distress signifies a significant loss of structural integrity, compromising load-carrying capacity and potentially leading to further deterioration.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

  • Heavy Traffic Loads
  • Inadequate Joint Support
  • Environmental Factors (Curling and warping stresses)
  •  Faulty Slab Design (Insufficient slab thickness, inadequate reinforcement, or improper joint spacing)

Repair

LOW

Sealing the crack to prevent moisture infiltration and monitor for further progression.

MEDIUM

Crack routing and patching, joint repair or replacement, and potential dowel bar rehabilitation.

HIGH

Full-depth slab replacement or concrete patching with additional dowel installation and potential subgrade stabilization may be necessary.

corner break with low severity
corner break with medium severity
corner break with high severity

LOW

 Hairline crack confined to the corner, typically less than 30 cm in length, with minimal slab displacement.

MEDIUM

Crack extends further along the joints (30-60 cm), with some spalling or faulting at the corner, potentially affecting load transfer.

HIGH

Extensive crack propagation (more than 60 cm), significant spalling or corner loss, and potential for complete slab separation, compromising structural integrity and requiring immediate repair.

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