ABSTRACT Tack coat binder is much softer shortly after construction compared to that after aging during in-service life which raises the likelihood of early-age interlayer shear failure. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of tack coat type (CRS-2P, CSS-1h, and SS-h), application rate (0, 0.140, 0.281, and 0.702 L/m2), surface texture (grooved Portland Cement Concrete (PCC), new, aged and worn, and milled Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA)), and freeze–thaw (F-T) cycles on early-age Interlayer Shear Strength (ISS) of laboratory-compacted samples. It was found that, tack coats with a hard binder grade applied at a low residual rate resulted in higher early-age ISS values compared to those prepared using a polymer-modified tack coat. F-T cycles were not found to have a significant effect on the early-age ISS values of specimens with HMA bottom layer. However, all tested tack coats were found to be significantly effective in improving the ISS values of samples with grooved PCC surface texture. For samples compacted on grooved PCC without tack coat, freeze–thaw cycles were found to considerably reduce the ISS values. Application of tested tack coats on grooved PCC was found to mitigate the adverse effect of F-T cycles on ISS values.
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