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Mechanistic-empirical asphalt overlay thickness design and analysis system.

File Language:
English


Details

  • Alternative Title:
    Project title: Development of an advanced overlay design system incorporating both rutting and reflection cracking requirements
  • Creators:
    Zhou, Fujie ORCID ICON IMG ; Hu, Sheng ORCID ICON IMG ; Hu, Xiaodi ; Scullion, Tom
  • Corporate Creators:
    Texas Transportation Institute
  • Corporate Contributors:
    Texas. Dept. of Transportation. Research and Technology Implementation Office ; United States. Federal Highway Administration
  • Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Publication/ Report Number:
    FHWA/TX-09/0-5123-3
  • Resource Type:
    Tech Report
  • Geographical Coverage:
    Texas
  • Edition:
    Technical report; Sept. 2007-Aug. 2008.
  • Corporate Publisher:
    Texas Transportation Institute
  • Abstract:
    The placement of an asphalt overlay is the most common method used by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to rehabilitate ; existing asphalt and concrete pavements. The type of overlay and its required thickness are important decisions that TxDOT engineers make on a ; daily basis. To perform well, an asphalt overlay must have a balance of both good rut and crack resistance. Furthermore, overlay performance is ; highly influenced by many factors, such as existing pavement conditions, traffic loading, and environmental conditions. It has also recently ; become common practice to use two different materials in an overlay, the first being a crack resistant level up course and the second being a ; wearing surface. The properties of both overlay types have a big impact on performance. The main objective of the Research Project 0-5123 was ; to develop a comprehensive mechanistic-empirical (M-E) asphalt overlay design system to assist TxDOT engineers to make these design ; decisions. ; The design system developed incorporates models for both rutting and reflection cracking of the proposed overlay. The Paris’ law-based ; reflection cracking model was evaluated and recommended for use in this study. This model requires the use of both stress intensity factors (SIF) ; and fracture properties (A and n) for predicting crack propagation caused by both traffic loading and thermal effects. For practical implementation ; of the SIF concept, a total of 34 SIF regression equations were developed based on more than 1.6 million finite element computations. The ; required fracture properties can be easily determined using the Overlay Tester. The proposed reflective cracking model was calibrated using ; performance data from three HMA overlay field case studies and then verified using the California’s Heavy Vehicle Simulator test results. To ; predict asphalt overlay rutting, the well-known VESYS layer rutting model was used and later calibrated using the field rutting data from the ; National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) test track 2006. The material properties required for this model are obtained from repeated load ; tests. The reasonableness and accuracy of the calibrated rutting was further verified by the field rutting data from NCAT test track 2000. Finally, ; the calibrated reflective cracking and rutting models were integrated into an asphalt overlay thickness design and analysis program. To assist in ; implementation, default values of material properties have been provided for all the overlay types currently used in Texas. The program provides ; the designer with a tool to evaluate on a project-level basis the impact of load transfer efficiency (LTE) on predicted life and to determine what ; level of LTE must be repaired in order to achieve adequate performance. ; In summary this study has developed a comprehensive overlay thickness design and analysis system based on solid engineering principles. ; The software package developed in this study has been provided to TxDOT. Based on the evaluations made in this study its predictions appear ; r ational and reasonable. This system is ready for state-wide pilot implementation.
  • Format:
    PDF
  • Funding:
    Project 0-5123
  • Download URL:
    https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/16982/dot_16982_DS1.pdf
  • File Type:
    Filetype[PDF - 8.57 MB]
  • Collection(s):
    US Transportation Collection
  • Main Document Checksum:
    urn:sha-512:aa3ef4f2398ef1c9e2b8e00b289567096eaf665669d85cb1a3fe42e6c768b6fc3306cb6ab7ea96adb20f7a2c9f2ce656393353b0ee88b236c9db0a2f404e5d8f
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