Pavement Analysis Research Articles

Economic and Environmental Analysis of Asphalt Pavement Incorporating Sugar Cane Bagasse Bio-Oil with a Life Cycle Cost Perspective

Economic and Environmental Analysis of Asphalt Pavement Incorporating Sugar Cane Bagasse Bio-Oil with a Life Cycle Cost Perspective

Mechanical and economical feasibility of LDPE Waste-modified asphalt mixtures: pathway to sustainable road construction

This research study evaluates the impact of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) modified asphalt binder on the mechanical performance and economical feasibility of asphalt concrete (AC) mixtures. LDPE-modified mixtures were compared with conventional mixes prepared with various binders commonly used in India, i.e., VG 30, VG 40, Polymer-Modified Binder (PMB), and Crumb Rubber Modified Binder (CRMB). LDPE-modified mixtures exhibit superior mechanical performance, increasing the stiffness of AC mixtures by 171% and 125% at 25 °C and 35 °C, respectively, compared to VG 30 base binder. Additionally, the indirect tensile strength (ITS) improved by 51% over VG 30. LDPE-modified mixtures also showed improved resistance to permanent deformation, with RTIndex values up to 133.46% higher than VG 30, and higher fatigue resistance, as indicated by increased CTIndex values compared to VG 30 and CRMB. However, the CTIndex values for LDPE-modified mixtures were 26.32% and 56% lower than those for VG 40 and PMB, respectively. Pavement analysis using 3D-Move showed lesser deflections at pavement layer interfaces, resulting in higher rutting and fatigue life for LDPE-modified pavements. Furthermore, LDPE-modified pavements showed up to 57% higher fatigue life (Nf) and up to 42.33% higher rutting life (Nr) than other pavements. The economic analysis showed that the cost of LDPE-modified pavements is comparable to VG 40 and around 10% more economical than pavements containing PMB. Using LDPE also offers environmental benefits by repurposing up to 750 kg for every kilometer of single-lane pavement section having 50mm thick surface course. Overall, LDPE-modified asphalt mixtures present a sustainable and high-performance solution for asphalt pavement construction.

Enhanced In-situ Measurement and Evaluation Methods for Subgrade Modulus Utilizing Falling Weight Deflectometer

Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) tests have gained increasing popularity in evaluating the stiffness modulus of pavement subgrade. This paper presents an enhanced method for in-situ testing and evaluation of subgrade modulus using FWD apparatus. The method comprises three components: 1) guidelines for conducting field FWD tests with appropriate loading magnitudes and repetitions; 2) selection of optimal deflection positions for modulus back-calculation; and 3) determination of the suitable depth of the semi-infinite rigid layer. This method was developed based on measurements and analysis of FWD data from five highway subgrade sites, covering various subgrade soil types and climatic conditions. The enhanced method helps to promote the robustness and accuracy of modulus back-calculation results. Furthermore, to validate the proposed method, the back-calculated modulus was compared with moduli obtained from the other two commonly used tests, named the Portable Seismic Pavement Analyzer (PSPA) modulus test and the triaxial modulus test. Comparison results indicate strong correlations between the modulus values obtained from the proposed method and those from the PSPA and triaxial modulus tests, affirming the practicality of the proposed method in determining subgrade stiffness modulus.

Analysis of rapid reconstruction airport pavements

The article discusses principles and guidelines for rapid reconstruction of military airfield pavements. The possible repair materials to be used as well as the basic types of lightweight collapsible pavements were defined . Various technologies and principles for organizing construction work related to the repair of damaged pavements in accordance with the STANAG 2929 standard are presented. The article presents selected scientific principles of work organization that affect the maintenance of a high pace of construction project implementation. Additionally, the article highlights the need to protect aircraft and other sensitive elements of airport infrastructure, suggesting the use of double-bent sheet metal structures. These structures are relatively inexpensive and can be erected in a very short time.

Temperature Distribution in Asphalt Concrete Layers: Impact of Thickness and Cement-Treated Bases with Different Aggregate Sizes and Crumb Rubber

The temperature estimation within asphalt concrete (AC) overlaid on cement-stabilized bases (CSB) is necessary for pavement analysis and design. However, the impact of different CSB gradations and rubberized CSB on AC temperature has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aims to clarify this effect by examining two types of CSB with nominal particle aggregate sizes of 25 mm and 31.5 mm, as well as the substitution of 5%, 10%, and 20% graded aggregates with rubber aggregates (RA) in CSB Dmax 25 using Ansys-based numerical simulations. The modelling also investigated 11 scenarios with different AC thicknesses (hAC) ranging from 6 to 26 cm. The results indicated that CSB Dmax 31.5 reduced the daily maximum temperature fluctuation at the bottom of the AC (∆TbottomAC) by approximately 8% compared to CSB Dmax 25. The inclusion of 5% RA in CSB Dmax 25 decreased ∆TbottomAC by up to 20%. Additionally, the rubberized CSB increased the maximum temperature gradient between the top and bottom of the AC (ΔTmaxAC) by 9.5% with 5% RA and a 6 cm AC thickness; however, this increase was insignificant when hAC exceeded 12 cm. This study also proposed the use of artificial neural network (ANN) models to predict the AC’s temperature distribution based on depth, the time of day, surface paving temperatures, and hAC. The proposed ANN model demonstrated high accuracy (R2 = 0.996 and MSE = 0.000685),which was confirmed by the numerical simulations, with an acceptable RMSE ranging from 0.28 °C to 0.67 °C.

Nonlinear Interpretation of Resilient Modulus Parameters Considering Incremental Static and Dynamic Loading

The resilient modulus ( Mr) is typically interpreted as the average of the last five secant slopes of the cyclic stress-axial resilient strain curve from repeated loading triaxial tests. It is not uncommon to then fit mathematical models to the secant Mr to derive model parameters ( Ki, more commonly known as K1, K2, and K3) that are then used in pavement analysis. Some engineers also backcalculate Ki from a falling weight deflectometer test. Many researchers use an incremental loading procedure to analyze pavements. When doing so, it is important to consider the nonlinear load-deformation behavior, which is considered only coarsely in the secant slope approach. Some incremental loading procedures assume the geomaterial to be nonlinear elastic while a dynamic finite element analysis typically assumes the geomaterials to be nonlinear and viscoelastic, that is, having springs and dashpots. With the latter, additional damping parameters to represent the viscoelastic effects are required. This paper compares Ki parameters estimated using linear regression on a log transformation of the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) Mr model, which is a non-viscoelastic secant Mr approach, with those obtained using nonlinear regression of the time dependent deformations when interpreting the Mr test using incremental loading of a: 1) nonlinear elastic geomaterial; and 2) nonlinear viscoelastic geomaterial with inertial mass. The results show that the estimated Ki parameters governing the geomaterial nonlinearity are substantially affected by the estimation method and that the second alternative approach can model hysteresis well.

UPDAPS-Flood: a mechanistic-empirical flexible pavement analysis tool to evaluate the effect of flooding events on flexible pavement performance

ABSTRACT Flooding can cause considerable damage to flexible pavements and negatively affects their performance over time. This study aims to evaluate the flooding effects on the flexible pavement performance and the potential resiliency of the pavement network through a mechanistic-empirical (ME) pavement analysis approach. The Unified Pavement Distress Analysis and Prediction System (UPDAPS) programme, which includes ME analysis models, was used to develop the UPDAPS-Flood programme. A total of 7,655 flexible pavement sections were extracted from the Highway Pavement Management System (HPMS) database in three United States regions. Finally, the resiliency of the pavement network to flood events was quantified using the loss of pavement service life based on the international roughness index (IRI). The results showed that flooding has the highest impact on rutting performance, followed by IRI and fatigue cracking. It has been found that a proper drainage system can reduce the flooding impact by a factor of two. The predicted pavement performance was found to be very sensitive to the coefficients of the rutting model, which brings the need for further studies to re-calibrate the rutting prediction model at higher moisture content levels.

Study on Low Temperature Cracking Resistance of Carbon Fiber Geogrid Reinforced Asphalt Pavement Surface Combined Body.

Currently, there are limitations in the research on the use of carbon fiber geogrids to prevent low-temperature cracking in asphalt pavements. This study aims to comparatively investigate the effects of carbon fiber-based geogrid type and dense-graded asphalt concrete mixture (AC) surface combined body (SCB) type on the low-temperature cracking resistance of reinforced asphalt pavement through low-temperature bending damage tests. Two geogrid types were prepared: a carbon fiber geogrid (CCF) and a glass/carbon fiber composite qualified geogrid (GCF). Two SCB types were studied: AC-13/AC-20 and AC-20/AC-25. The results show that the improvement in the flexural tensile strength of CCF is similar to that for GCF. Moreover, under reinforced conditions, the improvement in the low-temperature cracking resistance of AC-20/AC-25 is better than that for AC-13/AC-20 by 16.26-24.57%. Based on the analysis, the reasonable ratio range of the aperture sizes to the major particle sizes in the dense gradation can achieve a more effective interlocking effect. This can improve the low-temperature cracking resistance of carbon fiber-based geogrid-reinforced samples. Then, increasing the bending absorption energy is a key way of improving the low-temperature cracking resistance of carbon fiber-based geogrid reinforcements. Eventually, the fracture type of carbon fiber-based geogrid-reinforced samples is a mixed plastic-brittle fracture. These results can provide a reference for the road failure analysis of geogrid-reinforced asphalt pavement.

A random elastoplastic framework of relationships between CBR and Young’s modulus for coarse-grained soils

The material quality indicator most commonly used for the quality of road materials is the California Bearing Ratio test (CBR). In addition, the CBR test provides a value commonly used to correlate with the resilient modulus (used in the design and analysis of pavement) due to its cost-effectiveness. This test measures soil resistance to penetration by a punch and compares it with the pressure measured in a standard material at the same penetration (2.5 mm or 5 mm). However, this test lacks physical explanations regarding mechanical behavior because the CBR value only compares soil penetration resistance with the pressure measured in a standard material. Another issue arises from the scattered results obtained from both equations and tests, highlighting the need for variability analysis of the CBR test to assess the effect of the different geotechnical variables on the CBR value. For this purpose, simulations using FEM (Finite Element Method) considering random soil parameters were performed for the CBR test. These FEMs included a linear elastic model and two failure criteria (Mohr–Coulomb and Drucker-Prager with a cap) and were prepared for granular soils. The evaluation shows that the increase or decrease in the CBR value is a function of the elastic modulus, yield stress, and friction angle. Moreover, the simulations expand the knowledge of the shearing mechanisms, generated stresses, displacement fields, and load sharing when the CBR test is made. From these results, a physical explanation of test results can be done. FEM simulations showed stress zones in conditions of elastic, compression, and shear behavior. These zones can explain the importance of elastic modulus, yielding stress, and friction angle in the CBR value. From numerical results, a new equation was proposed and compared with practical equations proposed by international standards and other sources to estimate the probability of underestimated values CBR according to the correlations used.

Local calibration of flexible performance models using maximum likelihood estimation approach

The pavement mechanistic-empirical design (PMED) is a widely used pavement analysis and design approach. The transfer functions are generally calibrated to implement the PMED for local conditions. The least square (LS) approach has been commonly used to calibrate these transfer functions. Although LS is a simplistic approach, the assumptions may not be valid, especially for non-normally distributed data. This paper uses the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) approach to calibrate bottom-up cracking, total rutting, and international roughness index (IRI) transfer function for flexible pavements. The results show that overall, MLE outperforms the LS approach for synthetic and measured data. The difference is more evident in the case of bottom-up cracking data, which does not follow a normal distribution. Gamma distribution for bottom-up cracking and total rutting, whereas negative binomial for IRI is the most suitable distribution for the MLE approach. Overall, MLE using resampling methods provides a robust and better estimate than the LS approach.

Finite Element Analysis of Geogrid-Incorporated Flexible Pavement with Soft Subgrade

Improving the durability of flexible pavements and constructing new roads on weak soil foundations present significant challenges, prompting designers to explore alternative methods to prolong pavement lifespan. Geosynthetics have emerged as a promising solution for soil stabilization, with various materials developed for this purpose. The current study concentrates on using the finite element (FE) method to examine the effectiveness of geogrid-incorporated flexible pavements on soft soil substrates. A three-dimensional layered pavement is constructed with an FE model, incorporating subgrade layers of varying strengths based on their California bearing ratio (CBR) values, with a geogrid layer implemented to enhance subgrade stability. Additionally, attention is also given to investigating the effect of base course thickness. The findings reveal that the geogrid layer primarily influences the formation of plastic strains in the subgrade rather than resilient strains, effectively reducing vertical compressive strain by approximately 40%. With increasing CBR values, there is a reduction in vertical strain, although the influence zone extends up to a depth of 300 mm within the subgrade. At the surface of the subgrade, vertical strain decreases by around 17%, 39%, and 49% as the CBR values increase from 1% to 3%, 5%, and 8%, respectively.

Integrating Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Analysis in the Life Cycle Assessment Use Phase and Monetization of Environmental Impacts to Promote Low Carbon Transportation Materials

This study attempted to integrate the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) analysis into the life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to explore the potential of terminal blend rubberized bitumen (TBRB) technology as a sustainable alternative to traditional paving materials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition, the concept of environmental impact monetization is introduced for quantifying shadow prices to be used in cost–benefit analyses and encourage the adoption of sustainable technologies in pavement construction. The findings demonstrate that hot mixed asphalt (HMA) with TBRB outperforms asphalt mixtures with neat bitumen (NB) and polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) containing 7% linear styrene–butadiene–styrene, with respect to durability and environmental impacts. The cradle-to-grave analysis, which includes maintenance and rehabilitation cycles based on the MEPDG results, alters the hierarchy among scenarios compared to conventional cradle-to-gate analyses, highlighting the importance of the use phase in LCA. Overall, the asphalt mixture with TBRB exhibits 83% and 63% less global warming potential than mixtures with NB and PMB, respectively. The monetization process through the distance-to-target approach returned the shadow price of US$157 per metric ton of CO2eq in the UAE. Based on this value, the HMA with TBRB, if selected over those with NB and PMB, offers environmental savings of US$47,186/km-lane and US$15,852/km-lane for the case study investigated.

Investigation of Dynamic Viscoelastic Characteristics of Permeable Asphalt

In order to provide a basis for the structural analysis, design and maintenance of permeable asphalt pavements, and to promote their engineering promotion and application, this study investigated the dynamic viscoelastic properties of permeable asphalt mixtures (PAC-13) under complex stress states. A Simple Performance Tester (SPT) system was used to measure the dynamic modulus of the mix under complex stress states. The displacement factor and principal dynamic modulus curves were formed by fitting Sigmoidal functions and using 1stOpt (first optimization) software, the phase angle principal curves were further determined, and the dynamic modulus was predicted for the ambient phase (15–25 °C) using the Hirsch model. The results showed that the dynamic modulus of the mixtures decreases with an increasing temperature, and the maximum decrease in the dynamic modulus is 93% when the confining pressure is 100 kPa and the loading frequency is 10 Hz. The dynamic modulus increases with an increasing confining pressure and loading frequency, the maximum increase with an increasing confining pressure is 26.1% when the temperature is 25 °C and the loading frequency is 10 Hz, and the maximum increase with an increasing loading frequency is 411% when the temperature is 25 °C and the confining pressure is 100 Hz. The dynamic modulus has a strong frequency dependence at low temperatures, while it is stress-dependent at high temperatures. Meanwhile, based on the Hirsch model, a new modified prediction model was developed, which can well predict the dynamic modulus of permeable asphalt mixtures at room temperature.

Design and Cost Analysis of Flexible Pavement Constructed Using Rice Husk Ash and Brick Kiln Dust

Design and Cost Analysis of Flexible Pavement Constructed Using Rice Husk Ash and Brick Kiln Dust

A Study on Life Cycle Analysis of Bituminous and Cement Concrete Pavements with Recycled Materials in Circular Economy

A Study on Life Cycle Analysis of Bituminous and Cement Concrete Pavements with Recycled Materials in Circular Economy

Analysis of Historic Pavement and Bridge Conditions and Alternative Funding Levels for the Michigan Department of Transportation

Analysis of Historic Pavement and Bridge Conditions and Alternative Funding Levels for the Michigan Department of Transportation

Analysis and Design of Flexible Pavement and Cost Comparison with Cement-Treated Base and Subbase Material

Road transport is important in economic, social; and a country’s overall development. Various commercial vehicle classes have utilized roads with different axle configurations and loads. Due to the cumulative effect of wheel loads and the aging of bitumen binder flexible pavement starts deteriorating. The bitumen pavement failure is mainly due to fatigue cracking as well as rutting deformation. Thus, proper load analysis for the intended period of pavement planned life needs to be analyzed and the pavement designed accordingly. The development of software such as IITPAVE enables the calculation of stress and strain values at required points across various pavement layers. The project's goal is to gather traffic data as well as soil CBR values from the field to design a flexible pavement following IRC: 37-2018 guidelines. The pavement would be analyzed using IITPAVE Software to obtain the actual strains at required critical points. Pavement design is influenced by factors such as properties of subgrade soil, wheel load, climatic conditions, and pavement materials. Pavements are built according to IRC guidelines and MORTH specifications. Excessive strain along with the deformation at the critical locations in pavement are the primary causes of bitumen pavement failure. This research aims to design a flexible pavement and compare the cost of traditional pavement layer composition with cement-treated base as well as sub-base materials. Keywords: Flexible Pavement, Cement treated base (CTB) and Subbase (CTSB), Cost Comparison.

Development of prediction model for structural behavior and gradation of porous asphalt pavement

This study is aimed at developing prediction model for structural behavior of Porous Asphalt Pavement (PAP) using ABAQUS software and also developing ANN (Artificial Neural Network) model to predict void percentages in Porous Asphalt mix gradations. Data from the past literatures were used to analyze various mixing parameters affecting the properties of Porous Asphalt gradation mixes. The study analyzed PAPs using KENPAVE software. The findings indicated that fewer allowable repetitions to fatigue and rutting failures were observed for thinner Porous Asphalt Concrete (PAC) layer thicknesses. This suggests that thicker PAC layers may offer better resistance to fatigue and rutting failures in pavement systems. The study found that the nature of subgrade material significantly influenced the rutting performance of PAP systems. Specifically, clayey soils exhibited a 77.74% reduction in the design life of the pavement compared to gravelly soil subgrades. This highlights the importance of considering subgrade characteristics in pavement design and construction to optimize pavement performance and longevity. Higher contact pressures resulted in higher tensile stresses at the bottom of PAC layer which in turn reduced the fatigue life of PAP. The findings from ABAQUS analysis indicated that an increase in the void percentage in Porous Asphalt Concrete (PAC) mixes led to a significant increase in horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of the PAC layer, with a 12.3% increase observed. Additionally, there was a noticeable increase in tensile strain for a PAC mix with 28% voids compared to a mix with 16% voids. This suggests that higher void percentages in the PAC mixes can potentially enhance the flexibility and deformation resistance of the pavement structure, which may contribute to improved performance under various loading conditions, hence leading to 92.8% reduction in allowable load repetitions to fatigue failure.The study further revealed that an increased void percentage in Porous Asphalt Concrete (PAC) mixes resulted in a decrease in vertical stress and deflection in the PAP system. However, no significant effect on the allowable repetitions to rutting failure was observed. This suggests that higher void percentages may lead to better load distribution and reduced vertical stresses within the pavement structure, contributing to improved performance in terms of stress and deflection.Moreover, Asphalt Pavement mixes were compiled to develop an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) prediction model. The results demonstrated good conformity between predicted and actual data, with a mean square error of 0.109 and a coefficient of correlation of 0.994. This indicates that the ANN model accurately predicts pavement performance based on the compiled asphalt pavement mixes, providing a valuable tool for pavement design and analysis.

ANALISIS PENINGKATAN PERKERASAN LENTUR KE PERKERASAN KAKU PADA RUAS JALAN BUARAN - BENDANPETE STA 0+00 - 1+700 JEPARA JAWA TENGAH .

Afif Junaidhi, Nim 191230000357, Analysis of the improvement of flexible pavement to rigid pavement on the buaran - bendanpete sta 0+00 - 1+700 jepara central java road 2023., Yayan Adi Saputro, S.T., M.T., Nor Hidayati, S.T., M.T., Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology1, Nahdlatul Ulama University1 Jepara1. With roads, everyone can increase their mobility while fulfilling important activities. As time goes by and the length of service lasts, road conditions eventually decline, both in terms of service level and structural condition. The method used for analysis of rigid pavement on roads is the 2017 Pavement Design Manual1 Method and the method used for planning road surface drainage dimensions refers to SNI 03-3424-1994 concerning Procedures for Road Surface Drainage Planning. The results of rigid pavement planning research calculations using the 2017 Pavement Design Manual method resulted in a concrete plate thickness of 275 mm, a thin concrete layer1 (LMC) of 100 mm, a class A aggregate drainage layer of 150 mm. Connections in rigid pavement are divided into two, namely longitudinal connections with tie bars using Ø 161- 6001 threads, and transverse connections with dowels using plain reinforcement D 32 - 300. The material used is planned to use concrete. The calculation results obtained are that the channel base width is 65 cm, the wet channel height is 35 cm, and the guard height is 40 cm

Revolutionising Egyptian pavement design: a comprehensive E* database and advanced modeling approach for contextually informed performance predictions

ABSTRACT This research assesses the dynamic modulus (E*) as a pivotal rheological attribute for characterizing viscoelastic behaviour in various indigenous asphalt mixtures across diverse scenarios. An exhaustive investigation involving 32 laboratory-designed asphalt mixes and two field mixes explores the influence of traffic loading patterns, air voids, binder sources, and climatic conditions on E*. Utilizing Superpave gyratory compaction, 68 E*-specimens are compacted and subjected to E*-testing, leading to master curve development. Evaluation of NCHRP 1-37A and NCHRP 1-40D Witczak models demonstrates their fair to excellent accuracy in predicting E* for Egyptian mixes. The NCHRP 1-40D model stands out with an R² of 0.94, showcasing superior accuracy and minimal bias. This study integrates AASHTOW are Pavement ME Design (PMED) to analyse pavement sections, revealing the impact of design factors, characterized by measured E*, on predicted pavement performance, encompassing asphalt concrete rutting, alligator cracking, longitudinal cracking, and terminal international roughness index. The investigation highlights the marginal impact of substituting predicted E* for measured E* on AASHTOWare pavement performance indicators for Egyptian mixes under default binder characteristic values. This research contributes valuable insights into the interplay of E* and pavement performance, facilitating wellinformed decisions in pavement design and analysis across diverse conditions in the Egyptian context.