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REPORT
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
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Publication Number:  FHWA-HIF-18-063    Date:  October 2018
Publication Number: FHWA-HIF-18-063
Date: October 2018

 

Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program Specific Pavement Studies (SPS) - Development of Experiment Design: SPS-11 Asphalt Concrete Pavement Preservation Study

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FOREWORD

Pavement preservation represents a proactive approach to maintaining and extending the lives of existing highways. Until recently, limited rigorous performance research existed on the effects of pavement preservation treatments, and consequently there was a reliance on anecdotal information. However, research findings over the past few years are proving that preservation can be an effective approach to extend pavement’s effective service life, improve safety and service condition, and is cost-efficient.

The purpose of this report is to document the recommended experimental design for the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) SPS-11 Asphalt Concrete (AC) Pavement Preservation Study. This study has been designed to establish the impact of selected preservation treatments on pavement performance under different loading and environmental conditions through a field study of in-service pavements starting from construction of the preservation treatments under consideration. The underlying concept of this experiment is to apply the same preservation treatment, at different times, on the same pavement structure to determine the effectiveness of a single application of a treatment as a function of pavement condition and time. This experiment is designed to answer the question on when is the best time to apply a preservation treatment on AC pavements. It will also enable development and implementation of important pavement preservation products and tools, such as addition of pavement preservation considerations to the AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide and associated software. Although the recommended experiment will not be implemented under the LTPP program, the experiment and this project report can be adopted and adapted by interested highway agencies to achieve the stated benefits.

Cheryl Allen Richter, Ph.D., P.E.
Director, Office of Infrastructure
Research and Development

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

 

Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No.

FHWA-HIF-18-063

2. Government Accession No.

 

3 Recipient's Catalog No.

 

4. Title and Subtitle

Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program Specific Pavement Studies (SPS)

Development of Experiment Design: SPS-11: Asphalt Concrete Pavement Preservation Study

5. Report Date

October 2018

6. Performing Organization Code

 

7. Author(s)

G.R. Rada, T.R. Thompson, G.E. Elkins and R.G. Hicks

8. Performing Organization Report No.

 

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Inc.
12000 Indian Creek Court, Suite F
Beltsville, MD 20705-1258

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

 

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-14-C-00038

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Federal Highway Administration
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, Virginia 22101

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Final Report; September 2014 to July 2017

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

 

15. Supplementary Notes

The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) is Mr. Jack Springer, HRDI-20

16. Abstract

Pavement preservation represents a proactive approach to maintaining and extending the lives of existing highway pavements. At the heart of the preservation decision-making process is pavement performance. This report documents the recommended experimental design for the LTPP SPS-11 Asphalt Concrete (AC) Pavement Preservation Study as well as the various elements required for its successful implementation. However, the recommended experiment will not be implemented under the LTPP program, but the experiment and this project report can be adopted and adapted by interested highway agencies to achieve the stated benefits, and consequently the impetus for publication of the report. The underlying concept of the experiment is to apply the same preservation treatment, at different times, on the same pavement structure to determine the effectiveness of a single application of a treatment as a function of pavement condition and time. This experiment is designed to answer the question on when is the best time to apply a preservation treatment on AC pavements. It will also enable development and implementation of important pavement preservation products and tools, such as addition of pavement preservation considerations to the AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide and associated software.

17. Key Words

Pavement Preservation, Asphalt Concrete (AC), Preservation Treatments, Pavement Performance, Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP), Preservation Experiment

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions.

19. Security Classification
(of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classification
(of this page)

Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

320

22. Price

 

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized

 

 

Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center | 6300 Georgetown Pike | McLean, VA | 22101