Stresses deriving from the circulation of motor vehicles and from weather conditions, also from the effects of ageing or differences in the behaviour of the surfacing materials and the subgrade: these are among the main causes of cracking and subsidence in road surfaces. In many situations, simply reinstating the asphalt wearing course does not provide a lasting solution, given that if the crack runs deep, it will tend to reappear in a relatively short time.
To obtain best results, especially on roads carrying high levels of traffic or in areas subject to heavy loading such as airport runways, reinforcement can be provided by glass fibre geosynthetics of the ASPHAGLASS and GLASSCOMP ranges. These are geogrids and geocomposites that strengthen the surface by suitably withstanding the stresses associated with vehicular traffic and significantly extending the useful life of the wearing course, , hence also improving road safety. Reinforcement geogrids can be used both when laying new road surfaces and, where extensive repair is required due to degradation, for resurfacing operations.
