Repairing at the Right Time in a Pavement Life Cycle

From Roklin Systems, Inc. Blog By Tamar Swan

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

1. The beginning 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 for the road. All of these affect the quality and durability of the pavement surface.
2. The next, or second stage is the construction or reconstruction of the road. The quality of the construction process impacts the longevity of the pavement surface.
3. The third stage is the first few years of use when the surface starts to experience some initial deterioration as a result of traffic weather such as rain, snow, solar radiation and temperature changes. This is when a road surface appears to still be in good condition and generally provides a smooth ride to motorists.
4. 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 will then fall into stage five.
5. The final stage is disintegration and structural failure. This is the point when roads will 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 a 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 of a pavement life cycle is essential to extending the life of your concrete or asphalt.