Pavement Maintenance - Cornell Local Roads Program - Cornell ...

3 - Repair Techniques
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There are many different pavement maintenance techniques. Before deciding which technique to
use, make sure you know all of the possible choices. Some problems can only be solved with
certain techniques. The list below describes the basic repairs that need to be in your pavement
repair toolbox.
All Pavements
Do nothing
This is the most common repair choice, because of cost. It is used whenever economics dictate
that no better choice exists. It is used on good and bad roads. A brand new road needs no repairs.
On a poor, badly cracked surface, the best technique may be to do nothing. It may be better to
leave a road in rough shape than to cover over the problem and have it recur almost immediately.
Drainage maintenance
This is absolutely critical to allow roads to last as long as possible. Drainage is the single most
common problem that leads to premature failures. For more details on drainage, refer to the
Cornell Local Roads Program manual, Roadway and Roadside Drainage (see Appendix B).
Asphalt Surfaced Pavement
Crack repairs
When cracks are narrow (1/4 inch to 1 inch) and not deteriorated on the edge, crack repairs are a
good alternative. Crack repairs generally fall into two categories of work: sealing and filling.
Sealing prevents the intrusion of water and debris into a working crack. A working crack is one
that moves noticeably (more than an eighth of an inch) due to weather or traffic loads. Filling
reduces the infiltration of water into a non-working crack.
Patching
Patching is a year-round activity that is done to keep road surfaces drivable. Most patching is
done to fill potholes. Ruts, slippage and other pavement defects may also be fixed best by
patching. Patching does not fix base problems. Types of patches include: cold asphalt “throw and
roll,” hot asphalt “semi-permanent,” and spray patching. Patching is very economical if done
properly.
Area repairs
Unlike patching, area repairs involve a more extensive repair. An area repair involves a cut out
and replacement of a bad section of a road or street. It is relatively expensive for the area
repaired, but since it fixes any base problems and is not wasteful, it can be the best alternative for
roads with small areas of distress.
Cornell Local Roads Program 13