Journal Published Online: 28 December 2016
Volume 5, Issue 1

Laboratory and Economic Evaluations of Thin Lift Asphalt Overlay for Pavement Preservation

CODEN: ACEMF9

Abstract

The overall objective of this study was to assess the use of locally available materials in Nevada for the development of two durable fine-graded thin lift hot-mix asphalt overlay mixtures for pavement preservation. The investigation considered establishing two mix designs using typical local materials for the northern and southern part of the state. An optimal asphalt binder content was selected for each mixture based on the volumetric properties and following the Nevada Department of Transportation volumetric requirements. For each mixture, the optimal asphalt binder content was varied within the allowable tolerances to simulate the potential variation in asphalt binder content during plant production. The performance of the designed mixtures were evaluated at the various asphalt binder contents in terms of their resistance to moisture damage using indirect tensile strength, resistance to surface raveling and abrasion, dynamic modulus |E*| property, resistance to rutting using the flow number test, resistance to reflective cracking using the IPC overlay jig, workability, and the developed interlayer bond strength using the Louisiana interlayer shear strength tester (LISST). Overall, both designed fine-graded mixtures showed a very good performance and are expected to perform well when used as a thin lift hot-mix asphalt overlay. In particular, good stability, very good resistance to surface raveling and abrasion, and excellent resistance to reflective cracking were observed for both thin lift hot-mix asphalt overlay mixtures at all evaluated asphalt binder contents. A preliminary life cycle cost analysis was also conducted between the thin lift asphalt overlay and a typically used pavement surface treatment for Nevada: the chip seal. Based on the findings from this study, conclusions and recommendations were provided for implementing thin lift hot-mix asphalt overlay as a pavement preservation technique for the state of Nevada.

Author Information

Habbouche, J.
Univ. of Nevada, Reno, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pavement Engineering and Science Program, Reno, NV, US
Hajj, E.
Univ. of Nevada, Reno, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pavement Engineering and Science Program, Reno, NV, US
Sebaaly, P.
Univ. of Nevada, Reno, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pavement Engineering and Science Program, Reno, NV, US
Pages: 22
Price: $25.00
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Stock #: ACEM20160025
ISSN: 2165-3984
DOI: 10.1520/ACEM20160025