Author: R. Michael Anderson

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13:

The main goal of this research was to help users determine the proper timing of preventive maintenance by identifying how environmental aging affects asphalt material properties (binder and/or mixture) in the pavement and how the application of pavement preservation treatments impact the aging process. Two main test sections were studied: (1) a designed experiment on the Low Volume Road portion of MnROAD to look at aging through the application of treatments on an annual basis over a five-year period; and (2) a 10-year-old pavement on TH 56 in southern Minnesota, also a designed experiment, with seals applied on an annual basis over a four-year period. Mix testing on TH 56 cores indicated that subsections with chip seals applied more than two years after construction had essentially the same fracture energy properties as the unsealed control subsection - implying that the initial treatment from a preservation standpoint should occur within the first two years of the pavement's life to mitigate damage from environmental aging. The MnROAD sections did not show the same response. Based on the testing conducted during the study and the associated findings, it appears that rheological tests can be conducted on the asphalt binder recovered from a pavement core to assess the effects of oxidative aging. When possible, it appears prudent to use a mixture fracture energy test, such as the DC(T), in conjunction with asphalt binder rheological testing to quantify the effects of aging within a pavement and suggest appropriate timing for the application of preservation treatments.