Description

This distress occurs only on pavements having an asphalt or tar surface over a PCC slab. This category does not include reflection cracking from any other type of base (that is, cement stabilized, lime stabilized). Such cracks are listed as longitudinal and transverse cracks. Joint reflection cracking is caused mainly by movement of the PCC slab beneath the AC surface because of thermal and moisture changes; it is not load-related. However, traffic loading may cause a breakdown of the AC near the crack, resulting in spalling and FOD potential. If the pavement is fragmented along a crack, the crack is said to be spalled. A knowledge of slab dimensions beneath the AC surface will help to identify these cracks.