Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) Testing of Innovative Pavement Structures in South Africa

Abstract

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has conducted several research studies associated with understanding the behavioural characteristics and performance of new innovative pavement structures stabilised with Nano-Organosilane Modified Emulsions (NMEs). These pavement structures could play a significant role for local road agencies in South Africa as they may be utilised as a cost-effective alternative to conventional road designs, thus reducing economic constraints and road maintenance backlogs. Since 2017, a series of Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) tests have been conducted on several road sections across South Africa, most notably on Gauteng Provincial Road D1884 in Meyerton and on Gauteng Provincial Road K46 near Diepsloot. Both these road sections consist of bespoke designs that incorporate NME base and subbase layers. The aim of this paper is to present performance results as obtained from these HVS tests. It is anticipated that these results will provide a good indication of the potential benefits and risks of using NME materials as opposed to using costly imported crushed aggregates, which are typically required for conventional South African road designs. These HVS results in conjunction with previously published laboratory data conclude that NME pavement layers exhibit exceptional performance, thus prompting the need for quicker standardisation and implementation of NMEs across South Africa.