Cost Of Pavement Construction Research Articles

Utilization of Industrial Waste Products in the Production of Asphalt Concrete for Road Construction

Abstract The utilization of industrial waste products to produce asphalt concrete for road construction was investigated. Aggregates were partially replaced with aluminum slag (AS) and crushed ceramic tiles (CCT) at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% by weight. Physical tests were performed on the aggregates, while a flash and fire point test as well as penetration tests were carried out on the bitumen. Similarly, Marshall stability tests were conducted on cylindrical specimens of the asphalt concrete. The average values of 18.88 and 30.69 obtained for the aggregate impact value (AIV) and aggregate crushing value (ACV) were satisfactory for road surfacing when compared with the specification. Marshall stability values of 10.84 KN, 4.27 KN, and 3.21 KN respectively were obtained with 30%, 20%, and 50% partial replacements with AS. The percentages were suitable for heavy, medium and light traffic when compared with the Marshall design criteria provided by the Asphalt Institute. The use of aluminum slag and crushed ceramic tile could reduce the large volume of industrial waste and the cost of pavement construction and maintenance.

Study of warm mix asphalt using reclaimed asphalt pavement and copper slag: a review

The incorporation of copper slag (CS) in asphalt pavements proves to be a good substitute in replacing the natural aggregates. This reduces pavement construction cost and plays a key role in protecting the environment. The CS can be used with recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) material especially in warm mix asphalt pavements. The use of RAP not only leads to environmental benefits but also considerably saves natural resources and decreases the requirement to use virgin bitumen. The use of CS in pavement construction sector eliminates the disposal as well as leaching problems associated with it. This paper focuses on the review of studies carried out on the use of CS along with RAP in road construction. It presents and discusses the work done on the use of CS in the pavement construction sector and the use of RAP in providing the necessary stiffening effect to the asphalt pavements. It analyzes the requirement and advantage of using CS with RAP in asphalt pavements in light of previous research findings and its influence on various engineering properties in pavements. This paper also reviews the work done to study the environmental impact of using CS in asphalt mixes.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF INNOVATIVE MATERIALS WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD BASE STRENGTHENED LAYERS

Introduction. The introduction of innovative technologies and materials in road construction is difficult due to a number of constraints, the solution of which is an urgent task of the construction industry. The competitive advantages of innovative materials (polymer-mineral composition “Nicoflok”) relative to traditional ones are considered on the example of the soil strengthening technology. The results of the research show the inconsistency of the regulatory and legal framework of the road sector in terms of the innovative technologies (materials) application. Such results suggest quickly update, refining both the characteristics of materials and methods for assessing the usage effectiveness. Thus, it is possible to increase the reliability of decisions made on the repair and construction of roads, and, as a consequence, increase their service.Materials and methods. The research was carried out in the course of construction (repair) work on the pilot road sections, as well as after a year of their operation. The authors used the regulatory documents and standard test methods for determining the physic, mechanical and deformation characteristics of soils and materials reinforced by the Nicoflok. Taking into account the obtained characteristics of the materials, the authors calculated an equal strength pavement structure using a licensed software product. According to the developed design options, the estimated cost of pavement construction was also calculated.Results. The results of the research allow authors to conclude that the physic and mechanical characteristics of the reinforced material are improved. At the same time, the competitive ability for the additive usage also increases.Discussion and conclusions. The paper shows the inconsistency of the regulatory and legal framework in the road sector in terms of the application of innovative technologies (materials). Moreover, the authors suggest the need to quickly update, clarifying both the characteristics of materials and methods for evaluating the usage effectiveness.

Eco-Friendly and Cost-Effective Design of Concrete Pavement Using Used Foundry Sand and Tiles Dust

Concrete is the most undisputable material being used in infrastructure development throughout the world. Natural sand is a prime material used for the preparation of concrete. Nowadays river erosion and other environmental issues have led to the scarcity of river sand. The reduction in the sources of natural sand and in the cost of concrete production has resulted in the increased need to find new alternative materials to replace river sand, so that excess river erosion is prevented and high strength concrete is obtained at lower cost. The aim of the study is to minimizes the cost and achieve sustainable development of concrete pavement. Cement, sand and aggregate are basic needs but the new alternative materials that is used foundry sand which is generated by metal casting industry and in the tiles industry, about 15%-30% production goes as waste, these are partially replaced by river sand. The fine aggregate has been replaced by used foundry sand accordingly in the range of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% & 50% by weight and also same for tiles dust for M-20 grade concrete. Concrete mixtures are produced to make (6 in × 6 in × 6 in) cube for compressive strength test at 7, 14, 28 days and (4 in × 4 in × 20 in) beam for flexural strength test at 28 days curing period, tested and compared in terms of compressive and flexural strength with the conventional concrete. Maximum compressive and flexural strength are found for 20% replacement of used foundry sand (FA2) and for 10% replacement of tiles dust (TA1) with respect to the conventional concrete (A0). By using alternative materials, the strength of concrete was increased significantly and for showing cost effectiveness a concrete pavement from Talaimari MOR to Kalpona Cinema Hall was designed for 4500 commercial vehicles per day. The pavement thickness required for conventional concrete is 28 cm whereas the pavement thickness required for concrete FA2and TA1are 22 cm and 24 cm respectively. Since the thickness of pavement slab is reduced, the cost of pavement construction is reduced almost 22% and 15% for concrete FA2and concrete TA1respectively.

Application of Jute Fiber for the Improvement of Subgrade Characteristics

Improvement in subgrade has always been an area of concern to highway and geotechnical engineers. In case of a highway, a weak subgrade results in greater thickness of pavement layer which increases the cost of pavement construction. To strengthen the subgrade soil, the use of jute fiber is advantageous because they are cheap, locally available, biodegradable, and eco-friendly. Jute fiber mixed randomly with subgrade soil has significant impact on the improvement of subgrade characteristics over the last decade. Keeping this in view an experimental study was conducted on locally available soil reinforced with jute fiber. In this study the soil samples were prepared at its maximum dry density corresponding to optimum moisture content in the CBR mold with and without reinforcement. The percentage of jute fiber by dry weight of soil was taken as 0.3%, 0.6%, 0.9%, and 1.2%. In the present investigation the length of fiber was taken as 15 mm and 30 mm, and two different diameters (4 mm and 8 mm) were considered for each fiber length. From the laboratory tests the effect of jute fiber content on density of soil (optimum moisture content and maximum dry density) was observed for each length and diameter of jute fiber. It was observed that the optimum moisture content increases and the maximum dry density decreases with the increase in jute fiber content for each length and diameter of jute fiber. The laboratory CBR values of soil and soil reinforced with fiber were determined. The effects of aspect ratio (length/diameter ratio) of jute fiber on CBR value of soil were also investigated. Test results indicate that CBR value of soil increases with the increase in length of jute fiber. It was also observed that increasing the diameter of jute fiber further increases the CBR value of reinforced soil, and this increase is substantial at fiber content of 1.2% for aspect ratio of 3.75 (length = 30 mm, diameter = 8 mm).

Predicting freeway pavement construction cost using a back-propagation neural network: a case study in Henan, China

The objective of this research was to develop a model to estimate future freeway pavement construction costs in Henan Province, China. A comprehensive set of factors contributing to the cost of freeway pavement construction were included in the model formulation. These factors comprehensively reflect the characteristics of region and topography and altitude variation, the cost of labour, material, and equipment, and time-related variables such as index numbers of labour prices, material prices and equipment prices. An Artificial Neural Network model using the Back-Propagation learning algorithm was developed to estimate the cost of freeway pavement construction. A total of 88 valid freeway cases were obtained from freeway construction projects let by the Henan Transportation Department during the period 1994−2007. Data from a random selection of 81 freeway cases were used to train the Neural Network model and the remaining data were used to test the performance of the Neural Network model. The tested model was used to predict freeway pavement construction costs in 2010 based on predictions of input values. In addition, this paper provides a suggested correction for the prediction of the value for the future freeway pavement construction costs. Since the change in future freeway pavement construction cost is affected by many factors, the predictions obtained by the proposed method, and therefore the model, will need to be tested once actual data are obtained.

Evaluation of high temperature performance of SBS + Gilsonite modified binder

SBS is a widely used polymer modifier for asphalt binders to improve the performance properties of hot mix asphalt. SBS is nearly indispensable when the binder properties do not satisfy the specification requirements under hot service temperatures. One of the concerns in using such additives, however, is the increased cost especially for large-sized construction projects. If a natural modifier can be used to replace some portion of industrial modifier products, such as SBS, it would significantly help reduce the cost of pavement construction. In this study, Gilsonite, a natural asphalt, is used as a binder modifier to reduce the SBS content based on a series of rheological testing. While studies on various properties of binder that is modified only by Gilsonite are common, we investigate the effect of combining SBS and Gilsonte in the same base binder. In the first phase, the binders modified individually with SBS and Gilsonite are evaluated in terms of based on the outcomes of dynamic shear rheometer and rotational viscosimeter tests. Then, the asphalt binders including both SBS and Gilsonite at different contents are subjected to the same rheological testing. The results show that around 3–4% times more Gilsonite is needed to replace 1% of SBS when the two modifiers are mixed in the same binder depending on the Gilsonite/SBS ratio selected. Besides, the viscosity of modified binders with a percent of SBS replaced with Gilsonite is always lower than that of SBS-only modified binder. It is suggested that Gilsonite can be used as an alternative modifier to reduce the cost of asphalt mixture production and compaction in the field.

Estimation of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Binder Low-Temperature Properties without Extraction

The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) as a component of asphalt mixes is a common practice. Generally, the use of RAP is expected to reduce the total cost of pavement construction, conserve natural resources, and protect the environment. However, estimating the properties of the aged binder in RAP is a challenging problem. Extraction and recovery of the binder is the current method used to estimate these properties. The unknown effects on the binder properties of using solvents to extract and recover the binder are a concern; thus, development of new methods to estimate the RAP binder properties without altering them is necessary. Introduced is the development of a new testing procedure to estimate the low-temperature properties of the RAP binder without extraction or chemical treatments. The testing procedure uses the Superpave® bending beam rheometer (BBR) with minor modifications. Fresh binder and fine RAP materials mixed with fresh binder (referred to as RAP mortar) are tested in the BBR, and properties of the RAP binder are then estimated from the binder and mortar properties. The developed testing procedure went through several testing stages for selection of testing parameters, such as the RAP gradation to be included in mortar, testing load, and binder content. The final procedure developed was then verified, and its capability of capturing the aged low-temperature properties of the binder in RAP materials was confirmed.

Multi‐objective highway alignment optimization using a genetic algorithm

AbstractThe available highway alignment optimization algorithms use the total cost as the objective function. This is a single objective optimization process. In this process, travel‐time, vehicle operation accident earthwork land acquisition and pavement construction costs are the basic components of the total cost. This single objective highway alignment optimization process has limited capability in handling the cost components separately. Moreover, this process cannot yield a set of alternative solutions from a single run. This paper presents a multi‐objective approach to overcome these shortcomings. Some of the cost components of highway alignments are conflicting in nature. Minimizing some of them will yield a straighter alignment; whereas, minimizing others would make the alignment circuitous. Therefore, the goal of the multiobjective optimization approach is to handle the trade‐off amongst the highway alignment design objectives and present a set of near optimal solutions. The highway alignment objectives, i.e., cost functions, are not continuous in nature. Hence, a special genetic algorithm based multi‐objective optimization algorithm is suggested The proposed methodology is demonstrated via a case study at the end.

Assessment of Temperature Fluctuations in Asphalt Pavements Due to Thermal Environmental Conditions Using a Two-Dimensional, Transient Finite-Difference Approach

A transient, two-dimensional finite-difference model is developed to assess temperature fluctuations in asphalt pavements due to thermal environmental conditions. Fluctuations in temperatures significantly affect pavement stability and the selection of asphalt grading used in pavements. The ability to accurately predict asphalt pavement temperature at different depths and horizontal locations based on thermal environmental conditions will greatly help pavement engineers in performing back-calculations of pavement modulus values and in selecting the asphalt grade to be used in various pavement lifts through detailed examination of predicted pavement temperature distributions on various pavement mixes. A more sophisticated selection of asphalt through specification of less expensive asphalt binders in lower lifts is thus possible for the provision of more economical solutions to rising pavement construction costs. As part of the model validation, sensitivity analyses are performed to study the impact of a number of thermal environmental and pavement geometric parameters on predicted temperature responses.

Qué pasa con los pavimentos de las calles de Bogotá?

As use to happen with most civil works, the cost of pavement construction involves two components, the one direct corresponding to initial investment and the other in maintenance delayed in its economic life. High quality of design and materials represents a more expensive construction that needs less maintenance. For the construction of pavements in Bogota, it has been usual to take in to consideration just the initial cost. This approach has shown to be very inappropriate because the duration of pavements obtained is much less than estimate, involving very high costs for repair. Those very brief notes on the subject finalize recommending to local authorities a change in the design approach that yields a better result in the long term.

Relative Costs of Various Concrete Pavement Features

The design and construction of portland cement concrete pavement involves the selection, specification, and construction of a number of concrete pavement features. Concrete pavement features can significantly affect pavement construction costs. In this study, the relative effect on pavement construction cost of several concrete pavement features was investigated, including concrete pavement thickness, foundation, shoulders, cross-section thickness variation (trapezoidal section), joint spacing, transverse joint load transfer, and transverse joint sealant. Careful consideration and study should be given the cost effects of various features when designing and specifying concrete pavement. The ideal pavement design is one that selects the least costly pavement section that will perform to the expected level over the life of the facility. The least costly pavement section is that with the least life-cycle costs.

Highway cost allocation: An application of the theory of nonatomic games

The purpose of all highway cost allocation procedures is to divide in a fair and rational manner the cost building or rehabilitating highway facilities among the highway's users. This article proposes a solution approach to the highway cost allocation problem based on game theory. In this approach, every passage made on the road is viewed as a player in a game that has a large number of insignificant players. For this reason, it can be assumed to be a nonatomic game. Of all highway costs, pavement costs are the most difficult to allocate on the basis of relative damage caused by the user of a highway. A distinctive feature of the analysis conducted in this article is the consideration of a nonlinear programming model that optimizes the total cost of pavement as the characteristic function of the game. The distribution of pavement construction costs proposed by the Federal Highway Administration is essentially a numerical procedure for obtaining value. A solution to the nonatomic game is presented based on a set of axioms that result in allocations that are desirable for its properties. The solution obtained by the proposed approach is compared to existing highway cost allocation methodologies.