Editing Pothole (section)

==Prevention==
The following steps can be taken to avoid pothole formation in existing pavements:<ref name = "Eaton"/>
:1. Surveying of pavements for risk factors
:2. Providing adequate drainage structures
:3. Preventive maintenance
:4. [[Utility cut]] management
:5. Sealing asphalt cracks

===Survey of pavements===
At-risk pavement are more often local roads with lower structural standards and more complicating factors, like underground utilities, than major arteries. Pavement condition monitoring can lead to timely preventive action. Surveys address pavement distresses, which both diminishes the strength of the asphalt layer and admits water into the pavement, and effective drainage of water from within and around the pavement structure.<ref name = "Eaton"/>

===Drainage===
Drainage structures, including ditching and storm sewers are essential for removing water from pavements. Avoiding other risk factors with good construction includes well-draining base and sub-base soils that avoid frost action and promote drying of the soil structure. Adequate crowns promote drainage to the sides. Good crack control prevents water penetration into the pavement soil structure.<ref name = "Eaton"/>

===Preventive maintenance===
Preventive maintenance adds maintaining pavement structural integrity with thickness and continuity to the mix of preventing water penetration and promoting water migration away from the roadway.<ref name = "Eaton"/>

===Utility cut management===
Eaton, et al., advocate a permitting process for [[utility cut]]s with specifications that avoid loss of structural continuity of pavements and flaws or failures that allow water penetration.<ref name = "Eaton"/>

Some municipalities require contractors to install [[utility repair tag]]s to identify responsible parties of the deteriorated patches.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lukas |first1=Paul |title=The Street's Secret Code |url=https://medium.com/re-form/the-streets-secret-code-e37ea0274021 |access-date=21 August 2023 |work=Medium |date=15 August 2014}}</ref>

=== Sealing asphalt cracks ===
A [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]] manual advocates semiannual inspection of pavement cracks with crack sealing commencing on cracks that exceed {{Convert|0.25|in|mm|order=flip}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lynch |first=Larry N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-yCcwQT4dkkC&dq=unsealed+asphalt+cracks&pg=PA1 |title=Asphalt Crack Repair: Field Manual |date=1991 |publisher=Air Force Engineering and Services Center |language=en}}</ref>