Development of a Strategy for the Implementation of Full-Scale Accelerated Pavement Testing for the Texas Highway Department.

摘要

The report describes CTR Study 1246, which proved to be very dynamic, in that the initial objectives were not only met, but they were followed up by new objectives. This was due to decisions taken by the project steering committee during the execution of the project. Following initial exploratory studies in 1988, the Texas SDHPT initiated the present study through which a strategy for the acquisition of a mobile accelerated pavement testing device had to be developed. Initially, the study focussed on a feasibility of accelerated testing and the need for it in Texas. As part of the initial study, the relationship of accelerated testing to overall pavement engineering was reviewed in detail. Once the feasibility had been illustrated, the objectives were redirected to the acquisition of a mobile accelerated pavement device. The different available methods and machines were evaluated, and subsequently the Mobile Load Simulator (MLS) was selected for future application on pavements in the state of Texas. The decision was based on the higher degree of traffic simulation attainable through the proposed MLS in comparison to the South African Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) and the Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF). The latter was developed by the FHWA in 1984 and is based on the Australian patented ALF. The operational impact of the MLS test program in the Texas situation was evaluated and recommendations for immediate and future application were made. Estimates of development and operational costs were done without having the benefit of an operational prototype of known production rate.