Premature Cracking of Asphalt Parking Lot Leads to Legal Action

Case Overview

This case involves the paving of an asphalt parking lot for a condominium unit. Initially, there were significant problems with the pavement, including cracking. The contractor assured the condominium management that these issues would be resolved, but ultimately failed to do so. Subsequently, a materials testing company was engaged to take coring samples of the pavement. The results revealed that every core did not meet the contract specifications for strength, and the underlying ground did not adhere to industry requirements. An expert in asphalt paving was subsequently consulted to assess the situation and provide insights into potential causation.

Questions to the Civil Engineering expert and their responses

Briefly, describe your experience in asphalt paving as it relates to knowledge of strength and thickness specifications.

I have over 40 years of experience in asphalt paving as it relates to knowledge of strength and thickness specifications. We develop pavement designs and test pavements routinely for strength with design thickness determined.

Could asphalt that was paved below the industry standard be subject to premature cracking and other material failures?

Asphalt that was paved below the industry standard can be subject to premature cracking and other material failures.

About the expert

This expert has over 30 years of experience in the field of civil engineering. He earned his BS in civil engineering from Nottingham Trent University and his PhD in civil engineering from the University of Nottingham. Today, he is a licensed charted engineer in the United Kingdom and a licensed professional engineer in the states of Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This expert is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Concrete Institute and the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, where he served as the former president. He is also very active in academia, having authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and being the recipient of the American Society of Highway Engineers' prestigious Wilbur S. Smith Award for his practical work in asphalt materials and associated dissemination of knowledge that has advanced the state of practice in highway engineering and construction. This expert was previously a technical officer at Tarmac Roadstone Ltd., the senior pavement engineer, and the technical vice president at SWK Pavement Engineering. In addition, he served as an adjunct professor of civil engineering at the University of Calgary and as the director of consulting services at PRI Testing Laboratories. Currently, he is the technical director of a major asphalt manufacturer in Illinois, the president of an advanced asphalt design and engineering company in New Jersey, and an adjunct professor of civil and environmental engineering at a research university in New Jersey.

E-686331

Specialties:

Civil Engineering