PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE

A.Ramesh, M.Tech, MITE, (Ph.D)

Sr.Asst.Prof, CED,VNR VJIET

Warning Bells by World Bank on the Need for

Pavement Maintenance in Developing Countries
Failure to maintain roads is tantamount to an act of disinvestment;
it implies sacrifice of past investments
A dollar saved in road maintenance can increase the VOC by 2 to
3 dollars
Transportation crisis is looming large in several developing
countries where the escalating damage to the roads is not
contained.
Without corrective action many developing countries may soon
face a situation in which poor roads, and therefore inadequate
road transport, become an insurmountable obstacle to economic
recovery and growth.
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What is Pavement Maintenance?

Pavement maintenance is treatment of road defects

The first step in the maintenance process is collection of
information about defects

Some defects are environment-related, like silting of

drains, clogging of culverts & vegetation growth. These are
treated under routine maintenance (say, twice a year).
Traffic induced defects are assessed by manual and
mechanical methods and treated according to the type and
intensity of defect.
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Pavement Defects
In asphalt surface

Cracking
Ravelling
Rutting
bleeding
Potholes
Edge deterioration

Shoulder
Deformation & scour
Vegetation growth

Side drains
Silted or blocked
Scoured or damaged

Culverts
Silted or blocked
Scoured or damaged
Damaged guard rails

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Defects Measurement
Measuring wheel is run to give chainage and length of
defect.
Width of defect measured with tape at start and finish of
defect
Ignore small areas, < (1m x 0.5m), of cracking &
ravelling (loss of stone)
Record all potholes with size 0.3m x 0.3m and above
Ignore edge deterioration of length < 1 metre
An example of defects measurement of asphalt surfaced
pavement is shown in next two slides
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200

Left
shoulder

Defective section
Carriageway

Right
shoulder

Edge deterioration
180

Chainage

Ravelling
120
100
95
90
80
Cracking
Edge deterioration
30
20
0

Not to scale

Figure: Example of a defective sub-section

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Defects Measurement
Asphalt- surfaced pavement condition survey
Name of the Road
Section
Length

Date
Link No.
Width

Cracking
Length
(m)

Width
(m)

30

0.5

Length
(m)

Ravelling
Width
(m)

Length
(m)

Width
(m)

80

Length
(m)

Pot-holes
Width
(m)

Length
(m)

Width
(m)

Edge deterioration

Left
Chainage
(m)

Right
Chainage
(m)

Rut depth
Chainage
(m)

Depth
(mm)

120
90
95

95
0
30

180
100
0.5

30
0

60

110
200
90

0.5

80
20

30
30
0

Figure: Example of a completed visual inspection form for asphalt- surfaced pavements
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Explanation of Defects Measurement

Procedure
The form is divided vertically into pairs of rows. It is filled in
bottom up.
The lower left col. of each pair of rows records start & end
chainages of particular defect.
The top right col. of each pair records the width of that defective
area
The top left col. of each pair records the difference in chainages
(length of defective area).
The entries into the form progresses gradually up the page as the
survey moves along the road.
Rut depth is recorded at 100 m interval in both wheelpaths. The
greater of the values recorded with its chainage.
Make a note of bleeding and shoving separately
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Defects of Off-road Features

Defects of shoulders, side drains, guard rails, all

involve measurement of defective length.
An example is given in the next slide

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Defects Measurement

Off-road Features condition survey

70

210
140

15
70
125
210

50 125 140 210

0
195

125
15

0
210

Silted/blocked
Culverts

20
50

15

90

15

90

75
15

75
15

kerb

scour

grass

scour

silted

Guard rail

scour

2.0 metres
footway
shoulder
grass

scour

Side drain
silted

Guard rail

Retaining
wall

Shoulder width

kerb

Left

Date
Link No.
Right
Shoulder width
2.0 metres
footway
Side drain
shoulder
Retaining
wall

Name of the Road

Section

Scour/damage

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Example of a completed visual inspection form for off-road features

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Detailing of Pavement defects

Defect: Cracking
Location:
Longitudinal, in wheel tracks
& edges
Transverse,
across
cross
section
Mesh cracking

Main causes

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Poor quality materials

Poor workmanship
Less pavement thickness
Aged pavement

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Detailing of Pavement Defects

Defect: Cracking (continued)
Development
If neglected, general or local destruction of pavement
Remedies
Surface cracking: local sealing or filling of cracks
Cracks in pavement structure: local sealing, filling
of cracks and patching when cracking is severe
(see maintenance treatments)
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Treatment of Defects
Treatment: Local Sealing
Defects treated: Cracks &
Final treatment for local
repairs
Material used
Cutback bitumen, coarse
sand up to 5 mm, chippings 6
to 10 mm size for local
repairs

Execution steps
a) sweep area (surface must
be clean & dry)
b) mark out the area to be
sealed, with chalk
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Treatment of Defects

Local Sealing (continued)

c) distribute binder (use
water can) 1kg/m2 ; do not
overheat bitumen.
d) distribute aggregate by
scattering
with
shovel..
Whole area must be covered.

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Execution of Works
crack sealing
Defects treated
Closely spaced cracks
Materials used
Bituminous slurry
Execution
a) Sweep the area (surface
must be dry and clean)
b) mark out the area to be
repaired, with a chalk

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Execution of Works
crack sealing
c) prepare bitumen slurry
by mixing 6 litres of
bitumen emulsion with20
litres of coarse sand (<
5mm)
d) Spread the slurry with
squeegee in thin layer 5
mm thick) over marked
area.Allow it to dry before
allowing traffic

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Execution of Works
crack sealing (continued)
Defect treated
Isolated cracks
Materials used
Cutback bitumen,
sand

coarse

Execution
a) Sweep the area clean and
dry
b) Heat the binder (cutback).
Do
not
overheat;
use
thermometer.Distribute the
binder with water can to
follow the line of crack. Hold
the nozzle close to the road
c) Scatter coarse sand over
strip of binder using shovel.
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Detailing of Pavement Defects

(continued)
Defect: Ruts and Depressions
Location
In wheel tracks of vehicles (ruts)
Local areas (depressions)
Main causes
Insufficient subgrade or pavement strength
Inadequate stability of bituminous mix

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Detailing of Pavement Defects(continued)

Ruts and Depressions (continued)
Development
If neglected water penetrates, rapid increase in rutting;
leads to cracking and breaking up of pavement
Remedies
Slight rutting (< 50 mm): filling in of ruts and
depressions
Deep rutting: local restoration of pavement structure

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Execution of Works
Filling in Depressions
Defects treated
Pavement subsidence and
surface irregularities

Materials used
Cold mix asphalt, prepared
in advance and stored

Execution
a) sweep depressions.
(Surface to be clean and
dry)
b)Mark out the area with
chalk. Remove high spots
with pick axe
c) Obtain cold mix
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Execution of Works
Filling in Depressions

8/2/2011

d) Application of tack
coat.Spray hot cutback with
water can at nearly 0.5
kg/m2. Do not overheat
cutback.
e) Fill in depression. Place
cold mix within marked
outline. Use a rake. Leave
excess thickness about one
third of depth of depression
to allow for compaction.
f) Compact material.
Compact thoroughly using
small vibratory roller or a
rammer until level is 3 mm
proud of surrounding area
g) Resealing. Seal (local
sealing) the repair to
prevent
penetration
of
water.

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Execution of works
Base Patching

8/2/2011

Defects treated
Mesh cracking, ruts and
depressions,
edge
subsidence and rutting,
potholes, shoving
Materials used
Selected
well
graded
granular material, cold mix
asphalt
Execution
a) Mark out the area with
chalk (draw a rectangle
around defect)
b) Excavation of area:
Remove all material of
road surface from the
marked out area.

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Execution of works
Base Patching
c) Increase depth of hole
until firm dry material is
found. Trim the walls of
the hole to be vertical.
Remove all moisture
d) Trim bottom of hole so
that it is flat horizontal
and free of loose
material and compact

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Execution of works
Base Patching

Backfilling Hole
Fill hole with selected well
graded material. Material
may be of same quality as
base layer that is repaired
or cold asphalt mix
Place material in the hole
and compact in one or
more layers. The last layer
to have greater thickness
(1/5th extra) to allow for
settlement after compaction
For
compaction,
use
vibratory roller, plate
compactor or rammer
depending on size of
excavation

Resealing
Reseal (local sealing) to
prevent penetration of water
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Detailing of Pavement Defects(continued)

Defect: Bleeding
Location
May involve part or whole of road surface
Main causes
Too much binder
Unsuitable binder
Development
If neglected
Road surface slippery when wet
Separation and break-away of surface layer under traffic
Remedies
Sanding
Surface dressing

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Sanding

Defect treated:Bleeding
Material used : coarse
sand up to 5 mm size
Execution
a) Scatter sand with
shovel from truck or trailer
b) Spread sand with
broom; cover surface
evenly

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Detailing of Pavement Defects(continued)

Defect: Edge subsidence and Rutting
Location
Along edge of pavement bordering unsealed
shoulders

Main causes
Badly maintained shoulders
Penetration of water and loss of bearing strength
Poor drainage

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Detailing of Pavement Defects(continued)

Edge subsidence and Rutting (continued)
Development
if neglected, subsidence increases rapidly leading to

disintegration of edges
Remedies
Slight subsidence (< 50 mm): filling of ruts and depressions;
restoration of shoulder
Deep subsidence: local restoration of pavement structure and
shoulder
Improvements to drainage
(see maintenance treatments)

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Detailing of Pavement Defects(continued)

Defect: Potholes
Location
No particular location, often in cracked areas, deformation or
aggregate loss
Main causes
Poor quality of pavement material
Infiltration of water
Break away of material under action of traffic
Development
If neglected progressive enlargement of pothole and formation of
additional potholes
Remedies
Local restoration of pavement structure
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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Potholes

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Shoving

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Surface

Shoving or Creep

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Edge Damage

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Ravelling

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Fatting up or

Bleeding

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Edge Step

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Pavement Slip

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Transverse

Cracks

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Block Cracks

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Cracking in

Wheeltracks

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Crocodile

Cracking

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Wheeltrack

Rutting (I)

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Wheeltrack

Rutting (II)

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Common Types of Pavement Defects: Wheeltrack

Rutting & Cracking

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TRL Dynamic Cone Penetrometer

Handle
Falling Hammer (8kg)
Top rod (Hammer shaft)
Coupling
Handguard
Clamp ring
Bottom rod
dia 20 mm
1 meter rule
600 cone
600 inc
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Fig. TRL Dynamic

Cone
Penetrometer
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DCP Test Result

Log10(CBR) = 2.48 1.057Log10(pen. rate)

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Sources of Presentation Material

PIARC Road Maintenance Hand Book
TRL Overseas Road Note 31
Road Deterioration in Developing
Countries World Bank Policy Study
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Pavement Maintenance

END OF TALK

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