Implementation of Low Temperature Tests for Asphalt Mixtures to Improve the Longevity of Road Surfaces

Field samples were obtained from cores taken from multiple roads around the Salt Lake Valley in Utah and prepared for Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) testing. The response of field cores showed that even though the binder grade used in the region is the same, the resulting mixtures have significant differences in creep moduli and m-values. This indicates that binder testing alone might not be enough to control the material’s creep modulus. The combination of BBR test results and field surveys indicate that both creep modulus and m-value play a significant role in low-temperature performance of asphalt pavements. Pavements with high creep moduli and low m-values are more susceptible to low-temperature thermal distress. From field observations, the field performance of each section was known; by plotting the test results of the field samples on a Black Space Diagram, it can be observed that a thermal stress failure envelope might exist. These results will allow the development of asphalt mixtures that have resistance to both low and high temperature distresses. However, more research will be necessary to further define this specification

  • Record URL:
  • Record URL:
  • Supplemental Notes:
    • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Mountain Plains Consortium

    Civil & Environmental Engineering
    122 S. Central Campus Drive
    Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84112-0561

    Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

    North Dakota State University
    1320 Albrecht Boulevard
    Fargo, ND  United States  581052

    Research and Innovative Technology Administration

    1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
    Washington, DC  United States  20590
  • Authors:
    • Romero, Pedro
    • Jones, ZacGary L
  • Publication Date: 2013-12

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 40p

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01505568
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: MPC-13-260
  • Contract Numbers: MPC Project #391
  • Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT
  • Created Date: Jan 27 2014 11:27AM