DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF GEORGIA LOADED WHEEL TESTER

The Georgia Department of Transportation began development of a loaded wheel tester (LWT) in 1985 to better evaluate the rutting susceptibility of asphaltic concrete mixes. It has been believed throughout the industry for some time that Marshall stability tests are inadequate to accurately predict rutting potential of various mixes. With the Georgia LWT, the susceptibility of a mixture to rutting can be determined in the laboratory during the design stage, and modifications to the design can be made at that time if needed. The machine can be adjusted for various weight, air pressure, and temperature conditions to simulate and test for performance under the actual field environment. The machine has been made to be a completely portable, self-contained unit with its own environmental heating chamber. Several research projects have been conducted with the Georgia LWT in order to evaluate the effect on performance of aggregate gradation, tire pressure, vehicle loading, and pavement temperature. Testing has been done on specialized mixes such as stone matrix asphalt, which shows that these mixtures are more resistant to rutting than conventional mixes even though Marshall stability test values may be lower. Asphalt mixtures produced under the Strategic Highway Research Program Level I and II volumetric design methods may still be prone to rutting. The Georgia LWT is an economical tool that can be used as a "proof tester" for properly evaluating the rutting resistance of these mixtures before they are placed on the roadway.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1995/1492/1492-022.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=DEVELOPMENT+AND+USE+OF+GEORGIA+LOADED+WHEEL+TESTER&author=R.+Collins&author=D.+Watson&author=B.+Campbell&publication_year=1995
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/309061563
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1492, Hot-Mix Asphalt Design, Testing, Evaluation, and Performance. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Collins, Ronald
  • Watson, Donald
  • Campbell, Bruce
• Publication Date: 1995

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 202-207
• Monograph Title: Hot-mix asphalt design, testing, evaluation, and performance
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1492
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregate gradation; Asphalt mixtures; Development; Inflation; Laboratory tests; Performance evaluations; Portable equipment; Research; Rutting; Stone matrix asphalt; Temperature; Testing equipment; Tire pressure; Tires; Traffic loads; Wheel loads
• Identifier Terms: Georgia Loaded Wheel Tester
• Uncontrolled Terms: Research and development; Susceptibility
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Highways; Materials; Pavements; Research; Vehicles and Equipment; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00714848
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 309061563
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 4 1995 12:00AM