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Three
Stages
of
Asphalt
Deterioration
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Stage I
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Surface
color fades to gray as a result of oxidation & surface
oils begin to evaporate
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Stage II
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Fine
line cracking occurs along with loss of "fines"
(minute
crushing material.) The surface becomes brittle.
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Stage III
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Deterioration
accelerates with extended cracking, increasing
brittleness & viscosity while reducing flexibility. Contaminants
penetrate through cracks, further hastening deterioration from
below the surface.
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The
graph above illustrates the need for routine maintenance to avoid
accelerated degeneration after the first six years of use. Every year
that
surface maintenance is withheld increases the cost of major repairs.
Sheflin,
J.J.E., "Your Choice: Bad Roads at High Cost or Good Roads at Low
Cost",
Paving Forum, Fall 1983
Edward
M. Gallagher & Sons . 5819 Pavillion Court
. Wexford,
PA 15090
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