Many years of research have
confirmed that crack treatments
are the most cost-effective method
of pavement preservation. Other methods
of preservation are effective but only one is
the most cost-effective - "crack sealing".
Many agencies recommend the Crafco
system as a cost-effective way to prolong
the life of asphalt pavement. Study after
study has proven that when cracks are
sealed at the proper time, two to four years
of added pavement life can be expected
before other treatments are required. Other
methods used for pavement preservation
are effective and needed in many
situations, but are more costly than crack
sealing. Many studies have shown that for
every £1.00 spent on crack sealing, saves
£4.00 or more in rehabilitation cost. With
other treatments, costs are several times
more per square yard therefore "when
budgets are tight the time to seal is right".
Cracking in asphalt and concrete pavement
will occur. Pavement design and
maintenance engineers have had to
contend with this leaving maintenance
departments bearing most of the burden of
dealing with cracks. Pavement cracks are
inevitable, and without proper maintenance
and repair will lead to accelerated cracking
or potholes further impairing the life and
serviceability of the pavement.
The problem of pavement cracking is
handled in many ways ranging from
pavement maintenance surface treatments
such as seal coating, road slurry and chip
seal to hot rubberized crack sealing and
ultimately complete pavement rehabilitation
such as resurfacing. A common option
utilized by city or state maintenance
departments is the Crafco system. For
many years it has been done, usually on a
routine basis. However, only in the last two
decades has it been recognized as a
preventive maintenance tool. Crack filling
the Crafco way with proper high
performance fillers will effectively "glue" the
pavement together and stop pot holes.
Crafco Crack Sealing
This process should be performed on
pavements that are in good condition. That
is defined as a pavement with a sound base
and exhibits distress in the form of thermal
or working cracks spaced at over 20 feet.
The procedure consists of routing and
sealing transverse cracks in order to
prevent moisture from entering and
deteriorating the subbase and
incompressible material from interfering
with thermal movement. See the Crafco
insallation instructions for your chosen
sealant to get specific directions on
preparation and application. If properly
designed and installed the expected life of
this procedure is 5 to 7 years in most cases. |
Crafco Performance Crack Fillers
This procedure consists of filling closely
spaced or non-working cracks to stop
moisture from penetrating to the subbase of
the pavement. If moisture is not checked,
catastrophic pavement failure such as
potholes will form. Another reason for crack
filling is to stop crack raveling. Crack filling
is a very cost-effective method of pavement
repair that will add years to its life. Crack fill
pavements that are in fair to poor condition
on a regular basis to maintain their
condition. If properly designed and
installed the expected life of this procedure
is 3 to 5 years in most cases. |
Crafco Joint Sealing
Sealing concrete pavement joints is
required to stop moisture from entering and
deteriorating the subbase of the pavement
and decreased spalling. The most costeffective
method of ensuring optimum
performance of a PCC pavement is by
constructing a sound joint seal system that
will last. For detailed information see the
Crafco joint seal product data sheet and
installation instructions. If properly
designed and installed the expected life of
this procedure is 5 to 7 years in most cases. |
 Sealing Joints & Cracks PDF - Click to Download
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