Pavement Rehabilitation Research Articles

Pavement maintenance and rehabilitation optimization based on cloud decision tree

The pavement management system (PMS) consists of several components including data collection, analysis, and reporting procedures. This system helps make decisions about the prioritization of road sections and selecting optimal maintenance strategy for the related road pavement networks. Considering the deteriorating rate of pavement sections and the limited budget and resources, it is important to find the most optimal maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) scenarios for each pavement section. This study presents a model based on the cloud decision tree (CDT) theory for selecting the most optimal M&R strategies. A CDT system is presented for Iran’s national road network. The system includes a general decision-making model and various decision trees for every province of the country. Exclusive decision-making models were presented for freeways, highways, and main roads. Furthermore, different decision tree models are presented based on roads Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT). Using the presented theory resulted in a general model with an accuracy of 80%. Evaluation of acquired decision trees showed that fatigue cracking and International Roughness Index (IRI) are the mo st important parameters to determine the appropriate M&R scenarios. Using these parameters provided results close to the re suits of experts’ surveys under real conditions, regardless of rank and traffic volume of the road sections.

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) comparison of pavements (Flexible, rigid and rigid-admixed with cow bone ASH)

Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) acts as a decision support tool in economic evaluation of cost (agency and user) during pavement type selection, maintenance and rehabilitation strategy. The Life cycle cost analysis was done using the Present worth of Cost method. Technical Recommendations for Highway (TRH) 12 (pavement rehabilitation investigation and design) analysis was used for calculating the agency cost which entailed the initial rehabilitation, maintenance, future and salvage cost. The LCCA analysis period for this study was taken as 40 years as the analysis period have to be sufficiently long to reflect long-term cost differences associated with reasonable design strategies. The result of the study shows that the present worth cost for the varying Pavement presents the options available for decision making. The result revealed that the initial cost of Rigid pavement is the highest followed by the initial cost of Rigid pavement with 15% CBA while flexible Pavement has the lowest initial cost. However, considering the result showing the present worth cost for the varying pavement types present worth cost of flexible pavement is the highest followed by Rigid pavement and Rigid pavement with 15% CBA has the lowest life cycle cost. The study recommended that Rigid pavement with 15% CBA should be considered because it gives the lowest life cycle cost and the initial cost is relatively low.

Analisis Efisiensi Penggunaan Teknologi Aspal Daur Ulang Pada Jalan Tol Elevated Ir. Wiyoto Wiyono

The use of recycling technologies to the principles of green roads should get priority. Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) has not been used properly is a problem in this study. Hotmix Recycling is a recycling technique that can be applied to road pavement rehabilitation and maintenance. The research was conducted to determine the cost-efficiency of recycled asphalt. The method used in this research is to analyze the unit price of conventional asphalt maintenance and to analyze the unit price of recycled asphalt in order to find out how much efficiency is obtained of asphalt pavement recycled. The results showed that the cost of conventional asphalt is Rp.1,160,000 per ton and the price of recycled asphalt is Rp.915,000 per ton, there is a savings of Rp. 245,000 per ton, The use of recycled asphalt technology in the periodic asphalt of the Ir. Wiyoto Wiyono toll roads can save operational and maintenance costs of Rp. 3,013,500,000.00

Economic and Environmental Cost Analysis of Cold In-Place Recycling

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and quantify the construction costs, energy costs, and environmental benefits of using cold in-place recycling (CIR) as a pavement rehabilitation technique. For this study, the costs of using CIR mixes prepared using either asphalt emulsion (CIR-E) or foamed asphalt (CIR-F) were compared with conventional 5.1-cm (2-in.) hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mill and overlays. Three different costs were considered for the production of each pavement rehabilitation technique: (1) construction, (2) energy, and (3) environmental costs. To facilitate the cost comparisons, an equivalent pavement structural analysis was conducted between each pavement rehabilitation technique using a standard design method. The results of the study showed that initial construction costs of using CIR are less than the conventional HMA mill and overlay. The energy and environmental costs were also found to be much lower for CIR mixtures compared with the HMA mill and overlay, with energy savings of up to 63%. Overall, when considering all costs, the use of CIR has lower costs compared with traditional HMA overlays. Cost savings of approximately $34,000–$39,000 were observed when using CIR with HMA overlays, with a total cost savings between 41% and 47% over traditional HMA mill and overlays. This study gives an overall procedure for assessing the economic and environmental costs of different pavement rehabilitation techniques and provides further evidence of the cost benefits associated with CIR to practitioners.

Administrative Problems on Asphalt Road Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation: A Case Study in Kabul City Road Authority

Administrative Problems on Asphalt Road Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation: A Case Study in Kabul City Road Authority

Assessing of the Road Pavement Roughness by Means of LiDAR Technology

The assessment of the road roughness conditions plays an important role to ensure the required performances related to road safety and ride comfort, furthermore providing a tool for pavement maintenance and rehabilitation planning. In this work, the authors compared the roughness index (International Roughness Index, IRI) derived from high speed inertial profilometer with two other roughness indices, one dynamic and one geometric computed on a digital elevation model (DEM) built by using mobile laser scanner (MLS) data. The MLS data were acquired on an extra-urban road section and interpolated on the nodes of a DEM with a curvilinear abscissa, coinciding with the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) track of the profilometer. To estimate the grid cell elevation, we applied two interpolation methods, ordinary kriging (OK) and inverse distance weighting (IDW), over the same data. The roughness values computed on the surface of the DEM showed a similar trend and a high correlation with those acquired by the profilometer, higher for the dynamic index than for the geometric index. The differences between the IRI values by profilometer and those computed on the DEM were small enough not to significantly affect the judgments on the analyzed sections. Moreover, the road sub-sections derived from profilometer measure that were classified as critical coincided with those derived from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) surveys. The proposed method can be used to perform a network-level analysis. In addition, to evaluate the effects of vibrations on human comfort, we input the DEMs into a dynamic simulation software in order to compute the vertical accelerations, as specified in the UNI ISO 2631 standard. The values obtained were in line and correlated with those inferred from the standard methodology for profilometer measures.

Evaluation of influence of pavement data on measurement of deflection on asphalt surfaced pavements utilizing traffic speed deflection device

Structural condition data is one of the critical data elements in pavement design and management for determining the needs of pavements rehabilitation. However, it is time-consuming and may raise safety concerns to use Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) for collecting pavement structure data at network-level. The traffic-speed deflection device seems to be a promising way to collect network-level structural capacity information in a safe and timely manner. To better understand the deflection collected from traffic-speed deflection devices, this paper focused on the influence of pavement data on deflection measurements. The pavement data in this study included pavement structure and surface condition data. The associations between deflection and pavement data was assessed by non-parametric rank correlation analysis. The pavement data elements that may influence deflection measurement were identified by random forest regression models. The relationship between deflection indices and surface condition indices were quantified by Tukey’s HSD test.Results indicated that D0 and SCI appeared to be more influenced by pavement type, surface roughness and distress than SCI of subgrade. IRI on the right wheel path tended to be more closely associated with SCI than other surface condition data. The change of surface condition indices appeared to be more sensitive to deflection indices on flexible pavements than on composite pavements.

The Chemical-Mineralogical Characterization of Recycled Concrete Aggregates from Different Sources and Their Potential Reactions in Asphalt Mixtures.

The incorporation of a recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) as a replacement of natural aggregates (NA) in road construction has been the subject of recent research. This tendency promotes sustainability, but its use depends mainly on the final product’s properties, such as chemical stability. This study evaluates the physical and chemical properties of RCAs from two different sources in comparison with the performance of NA. One RCA was obtained from the demolition of a building (recycled concrete aggregate of a building—RCAB) and another RCA from the rehabilitation of a Portland cement concrete pavement (recycled concrete aggregate from a pavement—RCAP). Characterization techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectrometry were used to evaluate the RCAs’ coarse fractions for chemical potential effects on asphalt mixtures. NA was replaced with RCA at 15%, 30%, and 45% for each size of the coarse fractions (retained 19.0, 12.5, 9.5, and 4.75 sieves in mm). The mineralogical characterization results indicated the presence of quartz (SiO2) and calcite (CaCO3) as the most significant constituents of the aggregates. XFR showed that RCAs have lower levels of CaO and Al2O3 concerning NA. Potential reactions in asphalt mixtures by nitration, sulfonation, amination of organic compounds, and reactions by alkaline activation in the aggregates were discarded due to the minimum concentration of components such as NO2, (–SO3H), (–SO2Cl), and (Na) in the aggregates. Finally, this research concludes that studied RCAs might be used as replacements of coarse aggregate in asphalt mixtures since chemical properties do not affect the overall chemical stability of the asphalt mixture.

Rutting Resistance of Asphalt Pavement Mixes by Finite Element Modelling and Optimisation

Asphalt pavement rutting is a major safety concern and is one of the main distress modes of asphalt pavement. Research into asphalt pavement mixes that provide strong resistance for rutting is considered of great significance as it can help provide extended pavement life and significant cost savings in pavement maintenance and rehabilitation. The objectives of this study are to develop numerical models to investigate the rutting of asphalt concrete pavements and to find optimal design of asphalt pavement mix for rutting resistance. Three-dimensional Finite Element models were first developed to simulate both the axial compression and wheel track testing in which a visco-elastic-plastic material model was used to predict the rutting of the asphalt concrete pavements. A strain hardening creep model with the material parameters developed from experimental testing was employed to model the time-dependent characteristics of the asphalt concrete pavements. The results were validated against the previous experimental wheel track test results of different pavement mixes. Finally, optimisation techniques using the Design Of Experiments method were applied to the simulation rutting results by varying creep parameters to identify their effects on rutting resistance in order to obtain an optimal asphalt pavements mixes. The results of this paper clearly demonstrate an efficient and effective experimental-numerical method and tool set towards optimal design for asphalt concrete pavements for rutting resistance.

Study of the Stiffness of the Bitumen Emulsion Based Cold Recycling Mixes for Road Base Courses.

The benefits of the use of cold recycling mixtures (CRMs) in pavement rehabilitation are associated with both the reduction of natural resource consumption by replacing them with recycled materials and the reduction of energy consumption during their production and paving. The evolution of the stiffness of CRMs in road construction and the fatigue life of pavements with CRM base layers are still being investigated. In this paper, CRMs with 1% cement content, called bitumen-stabilized materials with bitumen emulsion (BSM-Es), were examined. Mixtures that were differentiated in terms of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) content, as well as the amount and type of bitumen emulsions, were subjected to indirect tensile stiffness modulus (ITSM) tests at 5 °C, 13 °C, and 20 °C. The thermal sensitivities of the BSM-E mixtures were analyzed. BSM-E mixture stiffness modulus levels at various temperatures were determined using a statistical approach. On the basis of the results obtained, a discussion on the mechanistic-empirical design of flexible pavements with BSM-E base layers is presented. The potential benefits of using BSM-E materials in road construction in certain aspects of pavement life are indicated.

Havaalanı Kaplamalarını Asfalt ve Beton ile Yeniden Kaplamanın Karşılaştırmalı Dizayn ve Ekonomik Analizi

Overlays for airfield pavements are one of the cost effective and efficient pavement rehabilitation options. In this study, the Federal Aviation Administration’s state-of-the-art mechanistic-empirical overlay design methodology (FAARFIELD) was explained, design examples using FAARFIELD version 1.42. for both concrete and asphalt overlays were presented, and the results of these examples were compared. For the overlay design scenarios on existing asphalt surface layers, it was found that, overlay thickness decreases, as existing asphalt surface layer thickness increases, and calculated concrete overlay thicknesses were higher than calculated asphalt overlay thicknesses for the same existing asphalt surface layer thicknesses. On the other hand, for the overlay design scenarios on existing concrete surface layers, both asphalt and concrete overlay thicknesses were found to be very similar to each other. Based on FAARFIELD-calculated overlay thicknesses, an economic analysis was carried out to find out the most economic overlay design options for a variety of design scenarios. Although for some overlay cases concrete overlay design thicknesses were found to be higher than asphalt overlay design thickness, cost of concrete overlays was found to be less than that of asphalt overlays. This is because unit cost for concrete materials is less than that for asphalt materials. Incorporating a state-of-the-art mechanistic-empirical overlay design for airfield overlay pavements as well as considering local cost in the economic analysis to determine which type of overlay would be a more suitable option for a variety of pavement design cases would be very beneficial to Turkish airfield pavement design practices.

Dynamic Modulus Predictive Models for In-Service Asphalt Layers in Hot Climate Areas

Dynamic modulus of asphalt mixtures is one of the most important input parameters in design and rehabilitation of asphalt pavements. Dynamic modulus predictive models are alternative methods for laboratory determination of this parameter. These models were developed based on laboratory data. Due to sophisticated and laborious laboratory testing methods, there is a need to develop new models to determine dynamic moduli of in-service asphalt layers. In this study, nine different asphalt pavement sites were selected in two southern provinces of Iran. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) testing was performed at each site and core samples were taken from the asphalt layers for volumetric analysis. Using the results, dynamic moduli of asphalt layers were determined using six predictive models, including Witczak, modified Witczak, Hirsch, Al-Khateeb, global, and simplified global models. Predicted dynamic moduli were compared with those determined from back-calculation analysis of FWD data. Existing predictive models were calibrated and new models were developed for the prediction of in situ dynamic modulus of asphalt layers in hot climate areas. Performance evaluation and validation of the new models showed high prediction accuracy and low prediction bias with very good correlations between the predicted and back-calculated values (R2=0.96).

Improved models of solar radiation and convective heat transfer for pavement temperature prediction

ABSTRACT The enhanced integrated climactic model (EICM) is generally recognised as the standard approach for estimating pavement temperature profiles. Applications of the EICM are not limited to designing pavements but have also been expanded to understanding urban heat islands and the impact of climate change on pavement maintenance and rehabilitation costs. However, many parts of the EICM contain errors that lead to an overprediction of high temperatures, which has direct implications towards the applicability of using the EICM in its current form for broad applications. This paper systematically introduces three errors in the EICM, recommends approaches for correcting those errors and demonstrates how correcting the errors improves temperature predictions.

Permanent deformation analysis of base layers with recycled material: Effect of density and stress level

Full-depth reclamation techniques present numerous advantages for pavement rehabilitation strategies. The recycling process produces a thick layer of stabilized or unstabilized reclaimed materials, which is used as a new base layer of RAP aggregates. The compaction of the unstabilized thick layer is critical for adequate permanent deformation behaviour of the reclaimed layer. In some agencies, the smooth drum compaction is often used directly after the recycling process to compact the reclaimed materials. Previous studies demonstrated the challenges associated with adequate densification of the thick reclaimed layer through its whole thickness, leaving among other a material with a vertical density gradient. In that context, this study was designed to quantify the effect of the degree of compaction on the permanent deformation behaviour using cyclic triaxial tests. Granite and limestone aggregates were mixed with RAP in order to obtain mixes with 50% RAP, and each blend was tested using a permanent deformation test procedure at four different degree of compaction. One of the tested degree of compaction was a varying compacted density over the sample height. It was found that the analysis of this particular sample performance could be done on the basis of the average dry density of the sample. The shakedown ranges of each sample were analyzed with respect to stress ratio and degree of compaction. The behaviour for each type of mix was also similar. A generalized model was therefore proposed allowing to predict the range of permanent deformation behaviour knowing stress level and the degree of compaction. The general model between shakedown range and a relative stress ratio is based on a shift factor linking the effect of stress and density. Limit states were also defined for the possible ranges of behaviour with respect to the degree of compaction.

Decision Support Framework for Project-Level Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation through Integrating Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment

AbstractOver the last decade, transportation asset management practices have been increasingly enhanced through incorporation of sustainability considerations. Organizational- and network-level gui...

Durability assessment of open-graded friction course using a sustainable polymer

Open-graded friction course (OGFC) asphalt mixture, usually used to construct porous pavements, represents one of the materials supporting low-impact development (LID) philosophy due to its use of coarse aggregate gradation. Using such mixtures brings several benefits related to safety, environment and economy. Alas, coarse, open-graded skeleton of OGFC mixtures is prone to failure, particularly raveling and stripping. Continuous traffic loading and the environmental impacts give hand in hand to further increase the potential for failure, hence higher pavement maintenance and rehabilitation costs. Application of different types of modifiers has proved effective in mitigating failure potential. The most common modifiers are polymers, fibers and anti-stripping agents. Aiming at minimizing the costs and maximizing the lifespan while considering sustainability, the study was to investigate the effect of using a recycled stabilizing material as an asphalt modifier on the performance of OGFC asphalt mixtures. Recycled Low-Density Polyethylene (R-LDP) was adopted in this investigation. Changes in mixture air void, porosity, draindown, permeability, rut depth, moisture damage and abrasion loss were observed to evaluate the effect. Compared with unmodified asphalt samples, R-LDP modification increased mixture air void, porosity and permeability by 15%, 10% and at least 40%, respectively. Also, it noticeably contributed to reducing rut depth, moisture damage and abrasion loss (both unaged and aged) by 31%, 20% and at least 40%, respectively. More significantly, it almost eliminated the draindown problem. Incorporating R-LDP proved effective in upgrading OGFC mixture properties to an acceptable level required by most specifications.

Using fine aggregate matrix mortars to predict the curing behaviour of cement bitumen treated materials produced with different cements

Cold recycling is a sustainable pavement rehabilitation technology. Among the different techniques, cement-bitumen treated materials (CBTM) take advantage of the presence of the two co-binders to achieve satisfying performance. A multiscale study addresses the effect of different cementitious binders on the mechanical behaviour of CBTM mixtures and fine aggregate matrix mortars produced with bitumen emulsion. The evolution of stiffness and strength during curing is measured and compared. Results show that the cement type has a critical effect on the mechanical behaviour and, under fixed curing conditions, changing the strength is equivalent to changing the dosage. Finally, fine aggregate matrix mortars offer an excellent prediction of mixture mechanical properties.

A probabilistic approach to detect structural problems in flexible pavement sections at network level assessment

ABSTRACT Presently, most of the road agencies use Non-Destructive (NDT) tools to help them prioritise pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) activities at the network level, thus optimising the limited budgetary resources. One of the most widely used NDT techniques for pavement structural evaluations, at the network level assessment, is the Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD). Using a database comprising of a wide array of typical layer moduli and thicknesses of traditional flexible pavements, that were generated based on multiple Monte Carlo numerical simulations, as a reference datum, this study successfully developed probabilistic models that allow for analysing the condition of a flexible pavement, at the network level, from FWD surface deflection data, namely the Deflection Bowl Parameters (DBPs), to identify which layers of the pavement structure present a probability of structural failure or damage.

Opportunities in airport pavement management: Integration of BIM, the IoT and DLT

This paper aims to explore how digitalization technologies can help to better control and supervise road pavement and refurbishments at airports. In particular, Building Information Modeling, but also the Internet of Things and Distributed Ledger Technologies, have been considered. Particular attention has been devoted to the efficiency and effectiveness of management actions involving the control and supervision of maintenance and rehabilitation of runway pavement. To conduct the analysis, a use case, related to the Madrid Barajas 18R-36L runway, has been considered. Based on this case, various improvements have been detected and an operational framework has been proposed, which allows a higher level of functionality. Finally, a discussion about the capabilities and challenges for the airport industry is undertaken.

Developing specifications for precast concrete highway pavements

ABSTRACT Precast Concrete Pavements (PCP) can be used as an accelerated rehabilitation technique for concrete pavements. The goals of this research study was to develop a PCP system approval process for potential implementation by state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) using current PCP specifications and practices. For this, a survey was conducted among 18 states regarding their specifications that are used for PCP and their approval processes for implementation of PCP. Based on the survey conducted, eight state specifications have been developed for PCP. Each specification focuses on four major PCP components: (i) dimensional and strength requirements, (ii) base stabilization materials, (iii) panel placement and alignment, and (iv) encasement grout materials. Based on the specifications and recommendations of state DOTs, a general approval process was developed for PCP systems. The generalized approval process included verification of PCP (i) material properties and precast plant capabilities and (ii) historical performance. The approval process outlines three different tracks in which the PCP contractor can describe past performance (ranging from low to high risk for state DOTs). Overall, this study provides state DOT agencies the necessary specifications and general approval process to improve and accept PCP systems as a pavement rehabilitation technique.