CAUSES OF FAILURE OF

ROAD

Cracking:-
The most common types of cracking are:-
Fatigue cracking(Alligator):-

Fatigue cracking is commonly called alligator

cracking. This is a series of interconnected
cracks creating small, irregular shaped pieces
of pavement. It is caused by failure of the
surface layer or base due to repeated traffic
loading (fatigue).
Longitudinal cracking:-

Longitudinal cracks occur parallel to the

centerline of the pavement. They can be
caused by a poorly constructed joint shrinkage
of the asphalt layer cracks reflecting up from
an underlying layer etc.

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Transverse Cracking.-

Transverse cracks are single cracks

perpendicular to the pavement’s centerline or
laydown direction. Transverse cracks can be
caused by reflective cracks from an underlying
layer, daily temperature cycles, and poor
construction due to improper operation of the
paver.
Block cracking:-

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Block cracks look like large interconnected
rectangles (roughly). Block cracking is not
load-associated, but generally caused by
shrinkage of the asphalt pavement due to an
inability of asphalt binder to expand and
contract with temperature cycles.
Slippage cracks:-

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Slippage cracks are crescent-shaped cracks or
tears in the surface layers of asphalt where the
new material has slipped over the underlying
course. This problem is caused by a lack of
bonding between layers.
Joint reflection cracks:-

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These are cracks in a flexible pavement
overlay of a rigid pavement. They occur
directly over the underlying rigid pavement
joints.
Edge cracking:-

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Cracks travel along the inside edge of a
pavement surface within one or two feet. The
most common cause for this type of crack is
poor drainage conditions and lack of support
at the pavement edge. As a result underlying
base materials settle and become weakened.
CAUSES OF PAVEMENT
DETERIORATION:-
 Sudden increase in traffic loading
especially on new roads where the design
is based on lesser traffic is major of
cracking. After construction of good road,
traffic of the other roads also shifts to that
road. This accelerates the fatigue failure
(Alligator Cracking).
 Temperature variation ranging from 50°C
to below zero conditions in the plain areas

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 of North and Central India leads to
bleeding and cracking.
 Provision of poor shoulders leads to edge
failures.
 Provision of poor clayey subgrade results
in corrugation at the surface and increase in
unevenness.
 Poor drainage conditions especially during
rainy seasons, force the water to enter the
pavement from the sides as well as from
the top surface In case of open graded
bituminous layer, his phenomenon
becomes more dangerous and the top layer
gets detached from the lower layers.
 If the temperature of bitumen/bituminous
mixes is not maintained properly, the it
also leads to pavement failure. Over
heating of bitumen reduces the binding

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 property of bitumen If the temperature of
bituminous mix has been lowered down the
compaction will not be proper leading to
longitudinal corrugations.

Effects of road failure:-

 Due to lack of properly and timely
maintenance failure area is gradually
increased. As, a result, failure or road
surface causes traffic jam and accident.
 The vehicle operating cost is increased.
 It makes discomfort to the passengers.