Development of a rutting performance model for asphalt concrete pavement based on test road and accelerated pavement test data

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a model for estimating the rutting performance of asphalt concrete pavement (HMA: dense grade) under various temperatures and loads. The model was developed using both Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) and test road measurements. APT parameters were selected to match test road conditions (including asphalt structure, traffic load, and temperature) as closely as possible. The temperatures used were 33, 40, and 50°C, and the loads ranged from 41.2 to 80.4-kN (converted to equivalent single-axle loads for comparison to test road data). The results were used for developing a rutting model with temperature and the number of standard axle loads as the variables. The APT model was then used for estimating the cumulative load and the rutting depth on the test road under field conditions. The model estimates were compared with actual test road measurements, and a final model was calibrated using field data.