Pavement Structure Performance Monitoring System for the Regina Bypass Project

摘要

The "Regina Bypass" highway project currently underway involves the construction of some 45 km of double lanes in each direction, more than 18 km of rehabilitation of an existing section of Highway # 1, and 5 km of reinforcement works of an existing new section. The project is being realized under a Design-Build-Finance-Operate and Maintain (DBFOM) approach and will be operated by the concessioners group until late October 2049. High Modulus bituminous mixes were developed using customized mix design studies that optimized their rheological characteristics to the local climate. Pavement structures and High Modulus mixes are continuously monitored by control stations equipped with deep temperature sensors, and pressure and strain gauges. The goals of such a monitoring system are: 1) to compare the design hypotheses with the in-situ pavement thermal and structural behaviour, and, 2) to monitor the long-term mechanical behaviour of those materials exposed to an extreme climate like that observed in Regina. The first year of monitoring has already demonstrated the advantages of such a system and shows that the ground can freeze to a depth of 1.52 m and that the asphalt materials temperature on the base course can go down to -30°C. The strain analysis demonstrates the advantages of the mix designs that have been used.