Cost-Comparison Methodology for Selecting Appropriate Hot-Mix Asphalt Materials. Final Report

摘要

The Virginia Department of Transportations (VDOT) Road and Bridge Specifications lists 9 dense-graded hot-mix asphalt (HMA) surface mixes (three aggregate gradations x three binder types) that could be used on Virginias highways. VDOT's Special Provision for Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) provides 4 additional surface mix options (two gradations x two binder types), for a total of 13 mixes. Although the specifications offer recommendations regarding the types of facilities to program for each mix type, local conditions and experiences heavily influence the predominantly selected mix. Over the past 4 years or so, district pavement managers have routinely used only about 4 dense-graded mixes and 3 of the SMA surface mixes. As material prices continue to climb without budgets doing the same, local circumstances are more often going to contribute to the selection of the less expensive mixes, especially as long as these managers lack a defensible rationale for specifying a more expensive option. This study offers an economic analysis procedure to help field (i.e., district) pavement engineers select the most cost-effective mix for a given application. The procedure is based on the expected performance of each mix.