Description
Cracking, breaking or chipping of joint/crack edges. Usually occurs within about 0.6 m (2 ft.) of joint/crack edge.
Problem
Loose debris on the pavement, roughness, generally an indicator of advanced joint/crack deterioration
Possible Causes
Possible causes are (AASHTO, 1993[1]):
- Excessive stresses at the joint/crack caused by infiltration of incompressible materials and subsequent expansion (can also cause blowups).
- Disintegration of the PCC from freeze-thaw action or “D” cracking.
- Weak PCC at a joint caused by inadequate consolidation during construction. This can sometimes occur at a construction joint if (1) low quality PCC is used to fill in the last bit of slab volume or (2) dowels are improperly inserted.
- Misalignment or corroded dowel.
- Heavy traffic loading.
Repair
Spalling less than 75 mm (3 inches) from the crack face can generally be repaired with a partial-depth patch. Spalling greater than about 75 mm (3 inches) from the crack face may indicated possible spalling at the joint bottom and should be repaired with a full-depth patch.
Footnotes (↵ returns to text)
- AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Washington, D.C.↵