Continuation of Superpave Projects Monitoring: Fid-Bau Portal

Continuation of Superpave Projects Monitoring

R. Roque / S. Chun / J. Zou / G. Lopp / C. Villiers

This study involved the continuous monitoring of material properties and field performance of twelve Superpave project sections in Florida for the establishment of reasonable and effective mixture design guidelines and criteria, the identification and development of material property relations, and the evaluation of ongoing national and Florida design model development efforts. Field performance evaluation was conducted to identify performance-related criteria using the Dominant Aggregate Size Range-Interstitial Component (DASR-IC) parameters, which characterize the mixture gradation. Results indicated that the introduction of DASR-IC criteria into current mix design guidelines and specifications will assure good and consistent performance of Superpave mixtures. Identification of mixture parameters that control cracking performance led to the development of relationships to predict fundamental mixture properties (e.g., fracture energy and creep rate) based on DASR-IC parameters within the acceptable range. Based on the evaluation of existing pavement performance prediction models, the Enhanced Hot-Mix Asphalt Fracture Mechanics based Model (HMA-FM-E) was clearly determined to be the best choice for further top-down cracking prediction model development for use in the design of flexible pavements. It was found that the fracture resistance of asphalt mixtures was significantly reduced in sections subjected to moisture damage, which obviously affected mixture performance in the field. Development of a comprehensive and user-friendly database was continued in this phase. This has resulted in one of the most extensive datasets of research quality Superpave data on real-world projects. Recommendations were made for further investigations on the continuation of Superpave projects monitoring in Florida.