Evaluation of Asphalt Rubber Membrane Interlayer (ARMI) Using the University of Florida's Composite System Interface Cracking (CSIC) Test. Summary Report.

摘要

Since the late 1970s, FDOT has applied an interlayer of Asphalt Rubber Membrane Interlayer (ARMI) to asphalt roadway surfaces. ARMI layers are constructed by spraying asphalt rubber binder onto the asphalt, covering the layer with no. 6 stone, and rolling the stone into the asphalt with a pneumatic tire roller. A final layer of asphalt is applied on top of the ARMI layer. ARMI adds cost to the asphalt roadway project but has been used as a means to extend the life of the roadway by mitigating reflective cracking. Field reports have been mixed as to the effectiveness of ARMI to prevent rutting, and FDOT researchers theorized that ARMI may even contribute to rutting. The University of Florida recently developed a composite specimen interface cracking (CSIC) test to simulate the crack initiation and propagation process and to evaluate the effect of bonded interface conditions on top-down cracking.