Final answer:
When water collects in roadway cracks, mud cracks can develop, leading to possible road damage. This happens when clay-rich sediment expands when wet and shrinks as it dries, causing cracks. Thermal stress can also lead to roadway buckling in hot temperatures without proper expansion joints.
Step-by-step explanation:
When water collects in roadway cracks, mud cracks can develop. These are also known as desiccation cracks and typically form in clay-rich sediment. When this sediment becomes wet, it expands, and as it dries out, it shrinks, leading to the formation of cracks.
These cracks often form polygons on the surface. In the context of roadways, excessive water can cause similar deterioration, leading to the warping or breaking of the pavement, especially if there are cycles of freezing and thawing, which can exacerbate the issue and contribute to roadway damage.
Additionally, on hot days, thermal stress can cause roadways to buckle if they lack sufficient expansion joints. These stresses caused by changes in temperature demonstrate the powerful effects of thermal expansion and contraction on materials.