Repairing at the Right Time in a Pavement Life Cycle

From the Roklin Systems, Inc. blog, by Tamar Swan.

Paved road surfaces have five stages in their life cycle. Each stage affects the smoothness of the road surface.

The first stage is the initial design of the roadway, including the project's dimensions, material type, thickness of base and driving surfaces, and the drainage system. All of these affect the quality and durability of the pavement surface.

The second stage is the construction or reconstruction of the road. The quality of the construction process affects the longevity of the pavement surface.

The third stage is the first few years of use, when the surface starts to show some initial deterioration from traffic and weather such as rain, snow, solar radiation and temperature changes. The road still appears to be in good condition and generally gives motorists a smooth ride.

The fourth stage begins with increased deterioration and obvious signs of disrepair such as potholes, cracking and other damage. If roads are not repaired at stage four, they fall into stage five.

The final stage is disintegration and structural failure. At this point roads need costly reconstruction to replace the affected sections of highway or roadway.

Roklin's products are designed specifically for repairs at the fourth stage of the pavement life cycle. When damage is caught early enough and repaired with FloMix, FlexSet or Concrete Welder, the deterioration is halted. Catching cracks and potholes before the fifth stage is essential to extending the life of your concrete or asphalt.