The ability of asphalt to withstand tensile stress is limited. As a result, the life of asphalt overlays on cracked asphalt and concrete pavements is often shorter than expected design life. Reflective cracking of asphaltic concrete overlays is propagation of cracks or joints from the old pavement into and through the overlay soon after construction. Such mechanism is called reflective cracking. It can be caused by traffic, temperature variations (daily or seasonal) and/or uneven soil movements upward, downward or a horizontal nature. Once a crack is at the surface, deterioration of its faces will be accelerated by the abrasive action of the applied shear forces, caused by passing traffic in combination with the presence of water. The prevention of reflective cracking has always been an area of concern when designing for asphaltic concrete overlays.

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