Statistical Significance of Freeze–Thaw Related Factors on Cumulative Damage to Flexible Pavements

Although it is widely recognized that trafficking on thaw-weakened pavement structures significantly accelerates pavement failure in seasonal frost areas, contributions of specific freeze season characteristics, such as freeze season length, thaw depth, and depth to water table, are not as readily identified or quantified. To identify statistically significant contributing factors or combinations of factors, computer simulations were conducted with a seasonal mechanistic design and evaluation procedure and 21 years of environmental data from two original flexible pavement test cells at the Minnesota Road Research Project. Statistical analyses were conducted on various winter season characteristics to determine which characteristics or explanatory variables were statistically significant contributors to, or indicators of, cumulative pavement damage. Analyses suggest damage could generally be modeled as a function of one, two, or three explanatory variables. Thaw depth, or a variation thereof, was a significant explanatory variable for at least one regression equation corresponding to each damage model in both test cells evaluated. The combination of the surface freezing season length and corresponding average pavement surface temperature appears significant for fatigue cracking for the two test cells analyzed. Maximum thaw depth and the combination of surface freezing season length and air freezing index appear significant with regard to rutting, according to Asphalt Institute and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers criteria. Several additional characteristics of the winter season have been identified for inclusion in similar analyses to be conducted with the Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model and nine U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service–New Hampshire Department of Transportation pavement test sections. Such characteristics, once better defined, could provide useful information for design or evaluation purposes.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2232-06
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Statistical+Significance+of+Freeze%e2%ac%1cThaw+Related+Factors+on+Cumulative+Damage+to+Flexible+Pavements&author=M.+Kestler&author=R.+Berg&author=S.+Bigl&publication_year=2011
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/166282.aspx
• Authors:
  • Kestler, Maureen A
  • Berg, Richard L
  • Bigl, Susan R
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 55-67
• Monograph Title: Geomaterials 2011
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2232
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Depth; Fatigue cracking; Flexible pavements; Freeze thaw durability; Pavement design; Pavement distress; Rutting; Simulation; Statistical analysis; Surface temperature; Thaw; Time duration; Winter
• Identifier Terms: Minnesota Road Research Project (MnROAD)
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01333337
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309167451
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11-2259
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 21 2011 2:13PM