NTL Record

Title Proposed Performance-Prediction Equations and Threshold Triggers for Thin-Overlay Treatments Using The Long-Term Pavement Performance Database
Record ID 65552
Personal Name
Creator
Elwardany, Michael D.; Lee, Kangjin; Lee, Jung Hwa; Brown, Coleman; Castorena, Cassie; Kim, Y. Richard
Personal Name
Contributor
Walker, Deborah
Corporate Creator North Carolina State University. Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
Corporate
Contributor
United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Infrastructure Research and Development; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
Publisher United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Publication Date 20180901
Language English
Abstract The purpose of pavement-preservation treatments is to correct surface defects, improve ride quality, improve safety characteristics, and extend pavement life without increasing the structural capacity of the pavement. The application of a thin overlay is expected to extend the life of a pavement by 8–10 yr, although this range may vary depending on traffic, environmental conditions, quality of the materials, and workmanship. Thin overlays do not significantly increase the structural capacity of a pavement. Thus, the existing pavement condition should be evaluated carefully prior to the application of a thin overlay to ensure that structural rehabilitation is not necessary. A set of guidelines to determine the best time to apply thin-overlay treatments would help highway agencies optimize their budgets, thereby leading to potentially significant taxpayer savings. The objective of this study was to develop guidelines, parameters, and performance-prediction equations to select the most appropriate time to apply a thin-overlay treatment based on the condition of the existing pavement. To arrive at the proposed guidelines, data from the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program Specific Pavement Studies 3 and 5 were used to evaluate the effects of climate, traffic, existing asphalt concrete (AC)–layer thickness, and overlay thickness on the life extension that results from the application of thin-overlay treatments. The results demonstrate that threshold triggers based on longitudinal cracking in the wheel path and rutting severity can be used to select the best time to apply a thin overlay in order to achieve a target pavement-life extension. Analysis of the LTPP data shows that both the traffic level and existing AC-layer thickness significantly affect the life extension that results from the application of a thin overlay in terms of retarding rutting and longitudinal cracking, respectively. This paper presents empirical equations to predict the life gain that can be achieved from a thin-overlay treatment based on the existing pavement conditions.
Rosap ID dot:37579
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/37579
TRT Terms Pavement performance; Pavement overlays; Longitudinal cracking; Rutting
General Subjects Pavements--Performance--Data processing; Pavements--Performance--Databases
Geographical
Coverage
United States
OCLC 1076361638
Report Number FHWA-HRT-17-111; HRDI-30/010-18(WEB)E
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/65000/65500/65552/FHWA-HRT-17-111.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository