Development of a high performance low noise asphalt surface

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has been working with its partners in developing a high performance asphalt surfacing with the aim of creating a low-maintenance long-life (>30 years) low noise surfacing material that has the potential to reduce its annual low noise surfacing budget to 1/6 of its current value. The New Zealand developments form part of a larger collaborative research programme conducted under the auspices of the OECD/ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport) Joint Transport Research Centre, focused on the economic evaluation of long-life pavements. The New Zealand development has been a collaborative effort between Opus Research leading the New Zealand input into the OECD/ECMT programme and laboratory studies, Fulton Hogan solving the manufacturing and laying issues and the NZTA providing research funding, accelerated pavement testing at the Canterbury Accelerated Pavement Testing Indoor Facility (CAPTIF) and trial sites. The successful production and laying of 5 tonne of epoxy-modified open-graded porous asphalt (EMOGPA) in July 2006 at CAPTIF demonstrated that the concept was possible. Furthermore a field trial where 100 tonne of EMOGPA was laid on State Highway One (Main North Road) near Christchurch in December 2007 demonstrated that full-scale manufacture through a standard continuous mix asphalt plant and construction through a standard paver of the EMOGPA could be undertaken without any significant modification to plant or operating procedures. The trial sections have been in place for 7 years now and are still performing well. Additional test sections were placed on the Christchurch Southern Motorway Extension in 2012 and have resulted in an EMOGPA material using a Bitumen Extended Epoxy Binder that is similar to conventional OGPA to manufacture and lay. Resurfacing with the 2012 version of EMOGPA is expected to cost only 30% more than routine resurfacing operations using standard OGPAs in the long term and has the potential to reduce the NZTA’s annual OGPA budget to 1/6 of its current value. The 2012 version of EMOGPA becomes cost neutral at 13 years life with every year after that a saving to NZTA. This paper reports on the development path of the EMOGPA through to the development of a draft specification and the 2014 tendering of the first Road of National Significance to use EMOGPA.

• Authors:
  • Alabaster, D
  • Forrest, J
  • Waters, J
  • Herrington, P
• Conference:
  • Conference on Asphalt Pavements for Southern Africa (CAPSA15), 11th, 2015, Sun City, South Africa
• Publication Date: 2015-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 8p
• Monograph Title: 11th Conference on Asphalt Pavements for Southern Africa: CAPSA15, 16-19 August 2015, Sun City, South Africa

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bituminous pavements; Field studies; Life cycle analysis; Noise; Surface course (Pavements)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Road design and asset management
• Geographic Terms: Christchurch, New Zealand
• ATRI Terms: Asphalt; Field study; Life cycle assessment; Noise; Road surface properties
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01597118
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 22 2016 11:15AM