Laboratory and Field Performance Evaluation of High-Workability Ultra-Thin Asphalt Overlays

Abstract

The defects of poor workability and inadequate pavement performance of the ultra-thin asphalt overlay limited its application in the preventive maintenance of pavements. In this study, a high-workability ultra-thin (HWU) asphalt overlay scheme was proposed. A high-strength-modified asphalt binder and an optimized HWU-10 gradation were used to prepare the HWU asphalt mixture and explore its laboratory performance. Furthermore, the HWU asphalt mixture was used for the test road paving. Based on the field performance test results before and after the test road for one year of traffic operation, the application performance of the HWU asphalt mixture and styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS)-modified asphalt mixture was compared and analyzed. The results showed that the HWU asphalt mixture possessed satisfactory laboratory pavement performance, and its high-temperature stability and moisture damage resistance were better than those of the SBS-modified asphalt mixture. The asphalt mixture prepared using HWU-10 gradation was easily compacted and showed good workability. After one year of operation, all field performance of the ultra-thin overlay paved with HWU asphalt mixture met the specification requirements, but its flatness and skid resistance decreased. It is worth mentioning that the HWU asphalt mixture was significantly better than the SBS-modified asphalt mixture in terms of performance degradation resistance and rutting resistance. The studies to enhance the road intersection pavement performance and ensure the homogeneous dispersion of polyester fibers in the asphalt mixture will be considered in the future.

Characterization of Sustainable Asphalt Binders Modified with Styrene–Isoprene–Styrene (SIS) and Processed Oil

“…Derived from petroleum refineries, asphalt binder is a complex chain of molecules that exhibits moderate polarity, molecular weight, and functionality [1]. Due to excessive dynamic loads and harsh weather conditions, the top layers of asphalt pavements are more susceptible to damage than the other structural layers [2]. Due to the reduction in the viscosity of asphalt binders at excessive high temperatures, surface rutting occurs, which may create many severe problems on roads and highways.…”

Composition and Performance Evaluation of SBS/SBR Modified Emulsified Asphalt for Tack Coat on Airport Pavement

“…Coupled with the rapid growth of air trafc in China and the proportion of sizeable heavy-duty wide-body aircraft in recent years, some of the runway structures built in the early days have been seriously damaged, and their service performance has plummeted. Te pavement of the old airport is in urgent need of structural reinforcement or functional restoration without stopping aircraft navigation, so the white-to-black asphalt overlay technology that meets the nonstop requirement has become a standard renovation measure [2][3][4]. However, in actual engineering, the interlayer bonding problem of asphalt overlays is severe and common [5][6][7].…”