Types of road damages, causes and diagnosis

With dwindling natural resources, pavement structures have been the focus of optimized design. The French approach used since the 1990s for the design of new pavements was developed by LCPC, then CEREMA/IFSTTAR/IDRRIM, until the publication of standard NF P 98-086, revised in May 2019, and the widespread use of the ALIZÉ calculation software.

This step-by-step design approach has also made it possible to systematize diagnostic methods for pavement disorders.

Any pavement structure will deteriorate under the action of several factors. To carry out an effective diagnosis, it is important to know :

• the different types of pathologies and disorders that can affect pavement structures;

• Degradation processes for each type of pavement;

• associated influencing factors.

Auscultation tools will also be presented, along with diagnostic methodology and the principle of designing solutions to repair degraded pavements.

Note: at the end of the article, readers will find a glossary of important terms and expressions, as well as a table of acronyms, notations and symbols used throughout the article.