Project Details

Abstract

High-modified hot-mix asphalt mixtures (High-Mod HMA) have the potential to transform the way pavements are designed, constructed, and maintained. Trial sections have demonstrated the ability of this mix to resist rutting, cracking, and maintain a state of good repair while significantly reducing the cost of construction. A new application of this mix is being planned in Utah. This application involves rubblizing the existing concrete pavement and applying a 6-inch-thick layer of High-Mod HMA on top. This transformative approach to pavement construction repurposes existing materials while leveraging it to provide support to the new structure. However, the design specifies a relatively thin HMA layer for an interstate highway section, making it essential to properly understand and verify its actual behavior to allow for potential nationwide implementation. The expectation for the system is that the rubblized base will provide sufficient stiffness to support the pavement structure, and despite the likelihood of high strains in the asphalt mixture, the high binder content and polymer modification in the new High-Mod HMA will produce a strain-tolerant system. This proposal seeks to measure actual strains and deformation in this pavement and use those values to verify design assumptions and improve the development of a transformative pavement systems.

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