TM 5-826-6/AFR 93-5
Figure A-86. High severity D cracking.
(3) Counting procedure. When the distress is located and rated at one severity, it is counted as one slab. If
more than one severity level is found, the slab is counted as having the higher severity distress. For example, if light and
medium durability cracking are located on one slab, the slab is counted as having medium cracking only, or if D cracking is
counted, scaling on the same slab should not be recorded.
u. Joint seal damage, distress 65.
(1) Description.
(a) Joint seal damage is any condition which enables soil or rocks to accumulate in the joints or allows
significant infiltration of water. Accumulation of incompressible materials prevents the slabs from expanding and may
result in buckling, shattering, or spalling. A pliable joint filler bonded to the edges of the slabs protects the joints from
accumulation of materials and prevents water from seeping down and softening the foundation supporting the slab.
(b) Typical types of joint seal damage are stripping of joint sealant, extrusion of joint sealant, weed
growth, hardening of the filler (oxidation), loss of bond to the slab edges, and lack or absence of sealant in the joint.
(2) Severity levels.
(a) Low severity level (L). Joint sealer is generally in good condition throughout the section. Sealant is
performing well with only a minor amount of any of the above types of damage present (fig. A-87). Light-severity joint seal
damage exists only on a few joints in the pavement section. If all joint sealant were as shown, it would have been rated
medium.
A-50
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