Alligator cracking is associated with which combination of factors?

• A. Weathering of the entire surface.
• B. Excessive surface deflection, weak base or subgrade, thin surface of base, poor damage, or overloading.
• C. Low voids, excess sand, excess asphalt.
• D. Route and seal, surface treatments, patch, thin overlay, remove and replace.

Answer: (B)

Alligator cracking is a fatigue failure of the asphalt layer in a flexible pavement, showing up when the pavement can’t adequately resist repeated traffic loading. The cracks form from repeated flexing under load, and they propagate and interconnect because the supporting foundation beneath—the base or subgrade—is weak, the base is too thin, or the overall structure is too shallow to spread the stresses. Excessive surface deflection under traffic lets these cracks link into a grid that resembles alligator skin. Weathering, material mix quirks, or repair steps don’t produce that characteristic interconnected crack pattern; they’re either uniform aging, different failure modes, or remedies, not the root cause.