U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000


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Pavements

Partial-Depth Repairs

6.0 Performance

Photo of finished patch
Example of a finished patch

The performance of partial-depth repairs depends on many factors. Studies show that when partial-depth repairs are properly installed and when quality control during construction is good, 80 to 100 percent of the repairs perform well after 3 to 10 years of service. When properly placed with an appropriate and durable material and combined with good joint sealant maintenance practices, partial-depth repairs should last long as the rest of the pavement. However, improper design and construction practices, combined with poor quality control and inspection, result in poor performance. The most frequent causes of partial-depth repairs failure are:

  • Inappropriate use of partial-depth repairs
  • Improper selection of repair materials
  • Poor construction techniques
  • Lack of bond between the repair and the pavement
  • Drying of bonding agent
  • Compressive failure
  • Variability of the repair material
  • Improper use of repair material
  • Insufficient consolidation
  • Incompatible thermal expansion between the repair material and the original slab
  • Late Curing
  • Feathering of the repair material
Updated: 06/27/2017
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000