Alligator Cracking & Parking Lots: Repair & Maintenance Solutions by Smith’s Paving

Parking lots, driveways, and roadways are typically subject to problems - alligator cracking is one of those.

Alligator cracking is characterized as a series of interconnected cracks that create irregular shaped pieces of pavement, similar to the pattern found on an alligator’s outer skin. It is fatigue related, which means the pavement slowly becomes "worn out" due to heavy traffic. 

Alligator cracking is just one of the parking lot repairs that can be completed by the expert team of paving contractors at Smith’s Paving. Our team offers a range of repair and maintenance solutions to eliminate alligator cracks from your parking lot or driveway and help keep them from developing again. 

A Professional Paving Contractor Can Take Care of Parking Lot Repair

The cause of alligator cracking is the failure of the bound layer and repeated traffic loads that disintegrate the surface. Unfortunately, alligator cracking starts out of sight, at the bottommost layer of the pavement surface where the tension stressors are the highest. As the pavement flexes under repeated traffic loads crossing it back and forth, the crack is slowly encouraged to extend until it leads to a surface failure you can see. As every load crosses the pavement, the cracks get worse. 

Occasionally, the problem of alligator cracks occurs as a result of the improper installation of the pavement base and compaction during the paving process. It can also be caused by exceeding the weight limits the pavement was originally designed to handle.

Types of Alligator Cracking in Parking Lot Repairs

A professional paving contractor will tell you that there are two types of alligator cracking: 

• Minor cracking over 5-35% of the total pavement surface - the cause here is usually water infiltration combined with a crumbling pavement substructure that decreases the pavement’s stability and strength.
• Major cracking over 35% of the total pavement surface - while water infiltration is combined with subgrade degradation, this type of cracking indicates that the pavement has likely reached its end of life and can no longer support the loads. 

If caught in time, alligator cracking can be addressed with relatively inexpensive solutions that will seal the pavement and eliminate further destruction. In some cases, however, the best long-term solution is to reinstall the pavement or patch it in large sections. 

At Smith’s Paving, we understand that parking lot repairs can be expensive and time-consuming, so we’ll work with you to design a repair and maintenance plan that works for you now and in the future. 

Give our team of paving contractor experts a call at 518-266-9526. Or contact us online for a free, written estimate for parking lot repair.