Pavement Failures: Oversights, Omissions and Wishful Thinking

Pavement failure is a common and recurring problem. The results of such failures are not catastrophic like the collapse of a building or a failure of a dam, but they represent a serious financial loss and are a nuisance to the public. Despite a long history of road and pavement construction, engineers continue to design and build pavements that fail. This paper uses specific examples to illustrate common design and construction problems. Examples of design errors illustrate problems of not recognizing both critical assumptions used in a “standard” design curve and natural conditions that affect design. Materials are critical to proper performance, and examples of improper material selection or specification use are presented. No pavement design is any better than its construction or maintenance, so examples of typical construction problems and maintenance failures are also included. The 12 examples covered in this paper illustrate that these failures are more likely due to our failure to practice engineering properly rather than to inadequate technical knowledge or development. Professional performance by engineers remains the best way to avoid such failures.