Distress

Fatigue Cracking

Definition

Interconnected cracking pattern resembling alligator skin, caused by repeated traffic loading on structurally deficient pavement. Also called alligator cracking. Detected at Low, Medium, and High severity per ASTM D6433.

In context

Fatigue cracking and alligator cracking describe the same structural pattern.

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Distress

Alligator Cracking

Interconnected cracks forming a pattern resembling alligator skin. Indicates structural failure of the pavement, often c…
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Pavement Distress

Any visible damage or deterioration of the pavement surface — cracks, potholes, rutting, raveling, etc. Road Triage iden…
Scoring

Severity Level

The classification of each distress as Low, Medium, or High severity per ASTM D6433. Road Triage assigns severity from m…
Scoring

PCI

Pavement Condition Index (RT-PCI). A 0-100 composite score built on ASTM D6433. All 19 distress types identified per E17…
Distress

Bleeding

A film of bituminous material on the pavement surface that creates a shiny, glass-like, reflecting surface. Usually caus…
Distress

Block Cracking

Interconnected cracks that divide the pavement into approximately rectangular pieces. Caused primarily by shrinkage of t…