Mechanistic-Based Evaluation of Performance Thresholds for Engineered Surface Asphalt Mixtures

In general, three approaches can be considered to develop performance-based threshold criteria for asphalt mixtures designed using the Balanced Mix Design (BMD) methodology. Approach (I) is an approach in which a pool of asphalt mixtures representing typically designed and produced mixtures in a given region/climate are subjected to a suite of empirical tests considering different modes of distress. Approach (II) is an approach in which the empirical test results that are correlated to the results from fundamental tests are used to establish performance criteria. On the basis of these correlations, the empirical test results can be adopted and used as surrogate indices, in lieu of the results from fundamental tests, and then subsequently incorporated into mechanistic empirical (ME) design alongside the volumetric properties of asphalt mixtures. Approach (III) is an approach in which the empirical test results are directly correlated to in-service performance of asphalt mixtures to establish performance thresholds. Although the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been extensively building upon its BMD initiative based on Approach (I), the empirical tests (for durability, rutting, and cracking) and associated thresholds have never been verified through the use of Approach (II). This study provides an opportunity to establish links between the results from empirical and fundamental tests, and provide incorporation of the empirical test responses alongside volumetric properties of asphalt mixtures into mechanistic-empirical (ME) structural pavement design. This is a vital step to a practical integration of mixture design and structural design. Moreover, this study provides an opportunity to verify (or refine) the BMD performance thresholds on the basis of ME approach, rather than through the empirical approach alone. Finally, this effort will help establish traffic-based performance thresholds for the empirical tests.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $548142
• Contract Numbers:

  120747

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Virginia Transportation Research Council

  530 Edgemont Road
  Charlottesville, VA  United States  22903
• Managing Organizations:

  Virginia Transportation Research Council

  530 Edgemont Road
  Charlottesville, VA  United States  22903
• Project Managers:

  Habbouche, Jhony

• Performing Organizations:

  Virginia Transportation Research Council

  530 Edgemont Road
  Charlottesville, VA  United States  22903

  North Carolina State University

  Institute for Transportation Research and Education
  909 Capability Drive, Suite 3600
  Raleigh, NC  United States  27606
• Principal Investigators:

  Habbouche, Jhony

  Diefenderfer, Stacey

  Boz, Ilker

  Underwood, Benjamin

• Start Date: 20220202
• Expected Completion Date: 20240630
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt mixtures; Empirical methods; Engineered materials; Mechanistic-empirical pavement design; Mix design; Structural design
• Identifier Terms: Virginia Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01833530
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Virginia Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 120747
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 24 2022 12:21PM