Pavement failure occurs when an asphalt surface no longer holds its original shape and develops material stress which causes issues. Pavement failure issues include cracking, potholes, depressions, rutting, shoving, upheavals, and ravelling.
Asphalt bitumen is a binding organic material made from the by-products of refined crude oil. Asphalt bitumen is used in road construction because it is easy to produce, reusable, non-toxic, and a strong binder.
Paving technology has advanced dramatically since the first paved road allowed for wheeled carts. Over the years, builders have used everything from stone slabs to concrete. Some of the earliest roads included feats of engineering that would be difficult to implement, even today.
Whether it is a nuisance on your morning commute or it almost caused an accident, potholes should be repaired. The Public Works Department of a city is in charge of repairing potholes and often they do not assess that a road needs repair until a report has been filed.