Instead, for several decades, the cohesion between the panels and the strength of the roadbed was relied upon to collectively distribute the load from one panel to the next, a concept known as aggregate interlock. Over time the joints and roadbed tended to break down under stress, resulting in cracks and displacement of the panels. Most highways in the United States built as part of the Interstate Highway System from the 1950s to the 1980s relied solely upon aggregate interlock and began to show problems in the 1970s and 1980s.