Road rutting is a common form of pavement distress caused by permanent deformation along vehicle wheel paths. It is particularly common on roads carrying heavy commercial traffic, especially when pavement materials, drainage, compaction or structural design are inadequate.
Rutting appears as longitudinal depressions in the wheel tracks, often with raised material along the edges of the depression. As rut depth increases, rainwater can accumulate within the wheel paths, affecting surface drainage, ride quality and vehicle control.
Understanding where the deformation occurs is important because rutting may originate in the asphalt layer, granular base or subgrade. The repair method should therefore be selected after identifying the underlying cause.
