Benefits Achieved from Florida's Accelerated Pavement Testing Program

The need for faster and more practical evaluation methods under closely simulated in-service conditions prompted the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to initiate an accelerated pavement testing (APT) program in 2000. APT allows monitoring of a pavement system’s performance and response to accumulation of damage within a much shorter time period, typically within weeks instead of years. The primary objective of FDOT’s APT program is to continuously improve the performance of Florida’s pavements. As such, implementation and technology transfer of research findings are of primary importance. The APT program has become a critical component of FDOT’s pavement research program. The success of the program can be attributed to the careful selection of research projects that address vital issues and prolong the life of Florida’s roadways. Engineers have successfully used the APT program to gain insight into new pavement technology and design methods that laboratory testing alone could not provide. Most important is the impact the APT program has had on pavement construction and design practices. APT research has led to the revision of FDOT’s Flexible Pavement Design Manual and construction specifications and has provided critical information to policy makers. While specific tangible benefits cannot be always directly determined for each project, it is clear that significant savings can be directly attributed to the implementation of APT research. For example, it is estimated that over $4 million is saved each year as a result of APT research and implementation of polymer modified asphalt binders and fine-graded asphalt mixtures.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFD40 Full-Scale Accelerated Pavement Testing.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Greene, James
  • Choubane, Bouzid
  • Jackson, N Mike
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 92nd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2013-1-13 to 2013-1-17
• Date: 2013

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 11p
• Monograph Title: TRB 92nd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accelerated tests; Flexible pavements; Pavement design; Pavement performance
• Identifier Terms: Florida Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01474858
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 13-0961, 13-0961
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 7 2013 8:55AM