Pavement Inspection

Causes of PCC Distress

For portland cement concrete (PCC) roadway pavements, the following table summarizes the typical types of distresses that may be identified during a PCI survey, the likely cause of each distress type, and feasible maintenance strategies for addressing each distress type.

Distress Type Probable Cause of Distress Feasible Maintenance Strategies
Blowup/Buckling Incompressibles in joints. Partial- or full-depth patch, or slab replacement.
Corner Break Load repetition combined with loss of support and curling stresses. Seal cracks at low severity. Full-depth patch if more severe.
Divided (Shattered) Slab Load repetition or inadequate support. Replace slab.
Durability Cracking Absorption and freezing of moisture within the large aggregate particles. Full-depth patch if present on small area of slab. At higher severity levels, or once it has appeared over most of the slab, slab replacement.
Faulting/Settlement Upheaval or consolidation. At higher-severity levels, leveling patch or grind to restore smooth ride.
Joint Seal Damage Stripping of joint sealant, extrusion of joint sealant, weed growth, hardening of the filler (oxidation), loss of bond to the slab edges, or absence of sealant in joint. Remove and replace joint seal.
Lane/Shoulder Drop-Off Shoulder erosion, shoulder settlement, or by building up the roadway without adjusting the shoulder level. Add appropriate material (such as aggregate, asphalt, or concrete) to raise shoulder height to road elevation.
Linear Cracking Combination of load repetition, curling stresses, and shrinkage stresses. Seal cracks. At high severity, may need full-depth patch or slab replacement.
Patching (Small and Large) N/A Replace patch if deteriorated.
Polished Aggregate Repeated traffic applications. Diamond grind surface to add texture, or place an HMA overlay.
Popouts Freeze-thaw action in combination with expansive aggregates. Monitor.
Pumping Poor drainage, poor joint sealant. Seal cracks and joints. Underseal is an option if voids have developed. Establish good drainage.
Punchout Heavy repeated loads, inadequate slab thickness, loss of foundation support, or a localized concrete construction deficiency. Full-depth patch.
Railroad Crossing Deterioration or unlevel surface between or around tracks, often associated with repeated traffic loadings. Patch. If severe, consider rehabilitation in vicinity of railroad tracks.
Scaling, Map Cracking, and Crazing Over-finishing of concrete, deicing salts, improper construction, freeze-thaw cycles, poor aggregate, and alkali-silica reactivity. At low-severity levels, do nothing. At medium- and high- severity levels, partial-depth patches or slab replacement.
Shrinkage Cracking Setting and curing of the concrete. Monitor.
Spalling (Joint and Corner) Excessive stresses at the joint caused by infiltration of incompressible materials or traffic loads; weak concrete at joint combined with traffic loads. Partial-depth patch.