Five Types of Asphalt Cracks and How to Repair Them

Do you notice that your asphalt roads, driveways, or parking lots have been cracking?  These cracks can not only be eyesores on your property, but they can also be dangerous for anyone who is walking on them.  Also, cracking in your asphalt can cause water to seep into the sublayer of the asphalt and compromise the integrity of the materials itself, which will require a replacement sooner than you likely intended.  As experts in paving in Fredericksburg, TX, we can help you with any of your paving or repair needs.  There are a few types of cracking that can occur in your asphalt road surfaces.

Block Cracks

Block cracks appear as squares or circles of cracks in your asphalt.  This occurs from installation errors.  Whenever old mix is still in the pavement machine, it can cause mix to be too dry, and this can cause block cracking that isn't indicative of this issue for a few years.  Because these cracks do not penetrate through the sublayers of your asphalt, they can be easily repaired or prevented with a layer of sealcoating.

Edge Cracks

Like the name suggests, edge cracks appear along the outside edges of the surface, and they are usually long.  These cracks often run parallel to the road and are caused by a number of things.  Poor drainage, overgrown shrubs on the side of the road, or poor soil under the asphalt can cause these cracks to appear.  You can have them filled with seal or emulsion in order to repair the eyesore, but you will want to remove the underlying cause to prevent them from reappearing.

Fatigue Cracks

Fatigue cracks appear as many small cracks that actually look like an alligator, which gives them their nickname of alligator cracks.  These, too, are caused by faulty installation or poor drainage on the roads.  If you live in an area with a wide variety of temperatures, it can also cause this type of cracking to appear on your asphalt surfaces.  Sealcoating will protect your surface from fatigue cracks.  

Reflection Cracks

Reflection cracks are actually given their name because they mirror cracks that are occurring in the sublayer of your asphalt.  These are typically straight and sometimes grid-like.  By filling these cracks and repairing the damage to the sublayer, you can prevent moisture from making this issue worse. Any moisture control will minimize the risk of reflection cracking.

Slippage Cracks

Slippage cracks appear as wrinkles and deep gaps in the asphalt, and they look almost like the asphalt is slipping off itself.   These are caused when the layers of asphalt are not properly adhering to one another, thereby making each layer weak without the support of one another.  You can have these cracks patched so they don't get worse over time.

These are a few of the main types of cracking that can occur in your asphalt parking lots, roads, or driveways.  To prevent these from happening, be sure that you perform routine maintenance, like seal coating, on your asphalt to provide it with the protection it needs.  Contact us to hear about how we can help you with any needs related to paving in Fredericksburg, TX today.