Development of Pavement Performance Models to Account for Frost Effects and Their Application to Mechanistic–Empirical Design Guide Calibration

Abstract

Although it has long been recognized that the presence of frost is a factor in the performance of pavements, little national research has been conducted to study the long-term performance differences caused by frost exposure. To address this concern, a pooled fund study, Effect of Multiple Freeze Cycles and Deep Frost Penetration on Pavement Performance and Cost, was conducted under the direction of the FHWA Long-Term Pavement Performance data analysis program. This study not only explored the effect of frost on pavements but also differentiated between two types of frost exposure: deep frost penetration, remaining present throughout the winter months, and freeze–thaw cycling, occurring multiple times during the frost season. Performance models were developed to evaluate the independent effects of these two freezing conditions on long-term pavement performance. These models were used to make comparisons of predicted fatigue, rutting, and roughness measures in different environmental settings. Predictions revealed that significant differences existed among the various climatic scenarios. An evaluation also was conducted on the application of the models for regional calibration of the NCHRP 1-37A design procedure for locations where measured performance data are not available. An example shows that the models can be used as an effective calibration tool.