01350004

Component

http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/165649.aspx

In this study, the effect on pavement performance of day-to-day production uniformity of asphalt binder supply during construction was determined. The latest available version (0.900, August 2006) of the newly developed NCHRP project 1-37A, AASHTO’s Mechanistic– Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), was used for this purpose, and results are described in this report. Utah Department of Transportation (DOT) engineers wanted to limit the amount of performance grade (PG) variation of the asphalt binder supply during construction if the results showed significant effects on predicted pavement performance. Two existing pavement structures (weak and strong) were selected by Utah DOT for this study. Original asphalt binder grades for each structure were recreated along with additional formulations that simulated variation in grades. Two suppliers were asked to formulate six PG binders each, (three each for strong and weak structures) giving a total of 12 asphalt binders. Aggregates from the same quarry as the original aggregates were collected and hot-mix samples were compacted in the gyratory compactor using the appropriate mix designs. From these compacted samples, smaller simple performance test (SPT) specimens were cored and tested to obtain dynamic modulus (E*) values for MEPDG analysis. Binder properties required for MEPDG were also determined in the laboratory. Traffic and climate data was obtained from Utah DOT. A total of 366 different designs were analyzed to complete the MEPDG portion of this study. All levels of MEPDG (Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3) were used in the analysis. Analysis showed that PG uniformity of the asphalt binder supply does not show a significant sensitivity to predicted performance of regular or value engineered pavements. This finding is based on evaluation of all distresses predicted by MEPDG, such as, but not limited to, rutting, fatigue and thermal cracking. Consequently there was no justification found to develop limits on uniformity of PG of the asphalt binder supply. New hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mix-design requirement cannot be justified for the within-PG variation of asphalt binder supply observed at Utah DOT in the past 4 years.

01349996

English

pp 53-62

2011-7

Transportation Research Circular

Web

Figures; Tables

Bituminous binders; Dynamic modulus of elasticity; Fatigue cracking; Hot mix asphalt; Implementation; Mix design; Pavement performance; Rutting; Standardization; Thermal degradation

Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide

Utah

Design; Highways; Materials; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials

TRIS, TRB

Aug 17 2011 8:13AM

• Calibration of Rutting Models for Hot-Mix Asphalt Structural and Mix Design: Update on NCHRP Project 9-30A
• Hawaii’s Efforts to Implement the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• New Jersey’s Efforts to Implement the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• Sensitivity Analyses for Flexible Pavement Design with the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide. Conclusion
• Sensitivity Analyses for Flexible Pavement Design with the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide. Introduction
• Sensitivity Analysis as Decision Support Tool for Missouri Department of Transportation MEPDG Implementation
• Sensitivity Analysis for Flexible Pavement Design Using the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• Summary of Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide Regional User-Group Meetings
• Virginia Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide Research: Influence of Traffic and Materials Research