INVESTIGATION OF THE INTER-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BASE PAVEMENT STIFFNESS AND ASPHALT OVERLAY COMPACTION. FINAL REPORT

This report summarizes a research project to investigate the degree, if any, that base pavement support influences the compactibility of an asphaltic concrete overlay. As a secondary objective, the study enabled a comparison of the FAA Eastern Region in-place air voids compaction standard with the FAA National percent Marshall density compaction standard. Field dita were collected on three paving projects in FAA's Eastern Region. Nondestructive testing (NDT) was used to quantify the stiffness of base pavements prior to overlay. After overlay construction, the unit weights of the asphalt overlays were determined at the same locations where NDTs were performed, and in-place air voids and percent Marshall densities computed. Statistical techniques were employed to investigate correlations between stiffness and asphaltic concrete density (i.e., unit weight, in-place air voids, and percent Marshall density). Although a mild correlation between stiffness and density was found at one project, no general trends were detected for the other projects or from regression analyses performed on combined data bases. While this may suggest that base pavement stiffness is not a primary variable in affecting overlay compaction on airport pavements, the effect of stiffness may have been masked by other external variables, such as temperature, rolling, mix properties, quality control, etc. Finally, apparent inconsistencies were observed between FAA Eastern Region and FAA National density acceptance plans with regard to acceptable quality level and payment. To better quantify the inter-relationship between base pavement stiffness and asphaltic concrete compaction, a designed experiment is recommended to eliminate the effect of outside variables. It is further recommended that the FAA Eastern Region and National density acceptance plans be re-evaluated to assure consistency.

• Corporate Authors:

  Roy D. McQueen & Associates, Limited

  3112 Fox Den Lane
  Oakton, VA  United States  22124

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Authors:
  • McQueen, R D
• Publication Date: 1988-3

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 182 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air voids; Airport runways; Alternatives analysis; Asphalt concrete; Compactibility; Compaction; Correlation analysis; Density; Field studies; Nondestructive tests; Overlays (Pavements); Regression analysis; Statistical analysis; Stiffness; Variables
• Uncontrolled Terms: Field data
• Old TRIS Terms: Air voids content
• Subject Areas: Construction; Data and Information Technology; Design; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00469498
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FAA/ES-88/1
• Contract Numbers: DTFA01-87-P-08001
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 31 1988 12:00AM