COVER STORY | ADVERTORIAL
THE PROOF is in the Pavement :
T he inevitability of decay should be a great motivator for planned , preventive maintenance , especially when considering the alternatives . Yet , surprisingly , many view routine maintenance tasks as time-consuming , expensive , and insignificant . This can be true of all industries , but especially with pavement and roadways .
Crafco is the world ’ s largest manufacturer of innovative , proven-effective crack sealing products and equipment
Crack Sealing Is the Lowest-Cost , Highest-Benefit Pavement Preservation Treatment
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
Proper road maintenance can take a variety of forms , but all share the goal of keeping roads as close to their original condition as possible . The Federal Highway Administration defines preventive pavement maintenance as “ a planned strategy of cost-effective treatments to an existing roadway system and its appurtenances that preserves the system , retards future deterioration , and maintains or improves the functional condition of the roadway system .” Road systems are among the most significant public assets and make vital economic contributions to society . Responding to pavement ills only when major issues occur is not the definition of preventive maintenance but , rather , incurs the cost of neglect . Like all good care , effective preventive maintenance requires an adoption of routine measures to ensure road systems remain in optimum working condition .
COST OF NEGLECT
Of the estimated 33,000 traffic fatalities that occur each year , one-third involve poor road conditions . In 2017 , the American Society of Civil Engineers ( ASEC ) released the most recent edition of its quadrennial Infrastructure Report Card of the country ’ s byways . The nation received an overall D +. No one denies distresses in road systems are the inevitable result of the continued oxidization and deterioration of asphalt and man-made forces such as www . callape . com [ 6 ] 1.800.210.5923