Use and application of accelerated pavement testing in pavement preservation research

Abstract

This paper focuses on the use and application of Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) for the evaluation of pavement preservation actions. It is based on work done over a number of years and does not focus on the specific performance of any one preservation option but rather on the aspects of APT that can be used to provide improved insights into the performance behaviour of such actions on existing pavement structures. In this regard it investigates the types of pavement preservation that can be evaluated sing APT, different types of available APT, and vital pavement parameters to be monitored during such testing and suggests a protocol for the planning and execution of APT of pavement preservation actions. The main conclusion from the paper is that pavement preservation treatments can be evaluated using APT machines. Specific aspects that require careful attention during the process are the preparation of the test section (replication of failure mechanism to be rectified), monitoring of pavement response for all potential failure mechanisms, and that the analysis of the outcomes are performed with a view of incorporating information obtained from in-service pavements and laboratory test outputs.