Water, Water, Everywhere
The major cause of Roadway deterioration is water beneath the pavement. The source of the water can be either rainfall or irrigation. Water softens the subgrade and typically reduces pavement structural capacity by about 60%. A pavement, which is saturated as little as 10% of the time, will only have 50% of the life of a pavement with a dry base. Most of this water enters through cracks and pores in the pavement. According to AASHTO, the number ONE cause of pavement deterioration is water intrusion through the pavement. NOTE: FHWA states that ½ to 2/3’s of the water that strikes an asphalt surface passes through the A/C and into the base.

Paving fabrics are a nonwoven, needlepunched polypropylene fabric used as a water proofing membrane. Since introduction in the late 60’s by the PHILLIPS PETROLEUM CO., a product they trade named PETROMAT®, nearly 40 years of successful documented history of improving pavement performance and increasing pavement life has been recorded. Today there are many manufacturers of paving fabrics.