Development of Asphalt Pavement Temperature Models for Oman

Abstract

Asphalt pavements form an integral part of any transportation system. The structural capacity of the hot mix asphalt concrete layers depends on many factors including its temperature. Moreover, temperature can be a major contributor to several types of distresses. Therefore, temperature is a significant factor that affects the performance and life span of a pavement. The Sultanate of Oman's road network expanded at a phenomenal pace from approximately 10 km of paved roads in 1970 to 9,673 km in 2001. with the recent SHRP and LTTP research findings, it was necessary to investigate the applicability of the models developed from these research studies to Oman's environmental conditions and more generally to the Arabian Gulf climate. This paper presents the research undertaken to develop models to predict high and low asphalt pavement temperatures in Oman. A pavement monitoring station was set-up at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) campus to monitor air, pavement temperatures and solar radiation. Data were collected for 445 days. Daily minimum and maximum temperatures were recorded. A regression analysis was used to develop the low pavement temperature model. A stepwise regression was used to develop high temperature models using air temperature, solar radiation, and duration of solar radiation as independent variables. The developed models were compared with the SHRP and LTPP models. The SHRP and LTPP models were found to be more conservative than the developed models, which are more suitable for predicting pavement temperatures in Oman, and more generally in the Gulf region.