Current State of Reflective Cracking in the United States

Abstract

AbstractReflective cracking is the most common type of distress for composite pavements that employ a hot-mix asphalt surface course over a portland cement concrete slab. Reflective cracking left untreated is known to contribute to a rougher and noisier ride and to hasten the premature failure of the surface material at or near joints. Nevertheless, the current practices of many states in the United States to manage reflective cracking are not effective due to the lack of having systematic procedures in place for not only evaluating the actual reflective cracking condition but to select the appropriate treatment methods through the decision-making process as well. To overcome the current practical issues, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) conducted a research study to develop a decision-making process to enhance treatment selection for reflective cracking in composite pavements. A survey of all state DOTs was conducted within the INDOT study to determine the current state of the practice in...