AASHTO advises the number one cause of roadway deterioration is water saturation in the subgrade below the pavement. FHWA advises that up to two-thirds of the water that strikes an asphalt surface passes through to the subgrade. Water softens the subgrade, reducing the structural capacity of the pavement by as much as 60%. In fact, a pavement with a base that is saturated a little as 10% of the time will only have half the life-span of a pavement with a dry base.
Paving fabrics are nonwoven, needle-punched polypropylene fabrics that have a forty year history of improving pavement performance and extending pavement life. Properly installed, paving fabrics are an important part of an overlay system that can:
- Eliminate water intrusion through the asphalt
- Slow reflective cracking
- Increase the flexibility of the pavement system
Nonwoven Paving Fabric Data Sheets (PDF's)
GEO-3.8-90P - 3.8 oz/sy Paving Fabric (90 lb Tensile Strength)
GEO-4.2-100P - 4.2 oz/sy Paving Fabric (102 lb Tensile Strength)
GEO-5.0-120p - 5.0 oz/sy Paving Fabric (120 lb Tensile Strength)