Without fabric, cracks or faults in the old pavement will reflect on the surface in a matter of a few years

If you skip using fabric to save money now, you’ll need to spend that amount and more later because you’ll be in the same predicament with cracks and pot holes popping up everywhere you have them now and expanding to new areas.  As cracks multiply, the surface breaks down, creating dangerous debris and potholes.

A recent issue of Better Roads magazine reported that a study of roads in South Carolina showed that “non-woven paving fabrics extend the life of asphalt overlays of up to 10 years” and that it is makes economic sense.  This step is economic where cracking is most pronounced prior to the overlay.  These areas show that either wear-and-tear or the quality of the original base or sub-base contributed to the cracking. 

The economics of using fabric makes sense because it buffers the new surface from the movement of the old pavement, and it keeps water from undermining the foundation (base and sub-base).  The result is that the repaired (patched or overlayed) pavement gets more years of use, postponing the expense of totally replacing the paved surface.

Source: Pavement, February 2007, p10.