Assessment of Long-Term Performance of Louisiana Asphalt Pavements [Summary]

Details

• Creators:
  Mohammad, Louay N.
• Corporate Creators:
  Louisiana Transportation Research Center
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Asphalt Pavements Cracking Data Analysis Evaluation And Assessment Field Studies Pavement Management Systems Pavement Performance Rutting
• Publication/ Report Number:
  711
• Resource Type:
  Brief
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Louisiana
• Edition:
  Technical Summary
• Contracting Officer:
  Cooper, Samuel B III
• Corporate Publisher:
  Louisiana Transportation Research Center
• Abstract:
  This study investigated the effectiveness of various enhanced asphalt mixture designs and construction techniques used in Louisiana since 1994, evaluating to what degree they improved long-term performance. 24 field projects were evaluated, focusing on how these enhancements impacted rutting, cracking, ride quality, and overall pavement performance. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness and ability of laboratory testing to predict field performance were assessed. Generally, pavement sections constructed with crumb rubber-modified mixtures exhibited similar or better resistance to rutting and cracking compared to conventional mixtures. This improvement is attributed to crumb rubber enhancing the binder's viscosity and acting as a filler to improve rutting resistance, while the natural rubber component improves crack resistance. However, the higher initial cost of CRM often results in less cost-effective projects. Limited laboratory tests were not effective in predicting field performance for CRM sections. Further, the effects of warm mix asphalt (WMA) on long-term performance were evaluated, and WMA pavement sections generally showed similar or better cracking resistance than their corresponding conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) sections. WMA test sections also showed inconsistent results for transverse cracking, with some sections exhibiting better resistance due to factors unrelated to WMA itself. Importantly, all WMA sections met the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) rutting depth criteria after five to eight years of service. As part of this study, the Hamburg wheel track (HWT) rut depth and Semi-Circular Bend (SCB) strain energy release rate (Jc) values used in the Louisiana BMD framework were validated. The HWT rut depth and SCB Jc thresholds established in the Louisiana BMD framework were successfully validated for Level 1 and 2 pavement sections with service ranging from eight to 18 years. The maximum HWT rut depths of 10 mm and 6 mm for Levels 1 and 2 asphalt mixtures, respectively, were effective parameters for assessing the field rutting performance. Similarly, the minimum SCB Jc thresholds of 0.5 and 0.6 kJ/m2 instituted in the Louisiana BMD framework for Levels 1 and 2 asphalt mixtures, respectively, were effective for assessing field random and alligator cracking performance.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  SIO No. DOTLT1000391, LTRC Project No. 21-2B
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:699221ac95d455c34727a13a376d0c41c3462681b80fc7bb1a9d7786cb4614ce50ca70885ce9d68f6b41acbeb3d404f45921d131a1eeab312adcc1f0ba27b0ef
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/85503/dot_85503_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 162.07 KB ]