Reference values

Blocked pea root, maximum axial push

0.52 MPa

Clark and others, Rothamsted, 1996

Class C30/37 concrete, mean tensile strength

2.9 MPa

Eurocode 2

Root pressure alone is not enough to crack a pavement. Roots go to cracks that are already open, and from there they can lift the slab.

University of Florida, January 2026

The crack came first.