Innovative Use of Geosynthetic Material for Extending Asphalt Pavement Life

摘要

High temperatures in asphalt pavements lead to both rutting and aging related premature cracking problems, which result in a significant amount of expenditure in maintenance and rehabilitation for the highway agencies. This paper reports the results from an ongoing field study to evaluate an innovative concept of using geosynthetic reinforced chip seal (GRCS) with high albedo chip seal aggregates to reduce high temperatures in asphalt pavements. Temperature data that are being collected since October 2013 from a GRCS and a control section in the UC Davis Pavement Research Center clearly show the significant effect of a GRCS in the reduction of temperatures at different depths; this positive effect is increased at higher ambient temperatures/solar radiations. This reduction in temperature through the enhancement of reflection and reduction in conductivity of pavements has been modeled successfully with finite element method, and a predictive equation was developed to estimate the reduction in temperature that can be expected at any ambient temperature. A reduction in high temperatures in asphalt pavements will lead to a significant increase in the life of the pavement – both in terms of rutting and cracking.