Correlations and preliminary validation of the laboratory monotonic overlay test (OT) data to reflective cracking performance of in-service field highway sections. (18th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Walubita, Lubinda F.; Fuentes, Luis; Lee, Sang I.; Guerrero, Oswaldo; Mahmoud, Enad; Naik, Bhaven; Simate, Geoffrey S.
• Is Part Of: Construction & building materials. Volume 267(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-01-18
• Subjects: HMA -- Reflective cracking -- Overlay tester (OT) -- Monotonic-loading -- Tensile strength -- Tensile strain -- Tensile modulus -- Fracture energy (FE) -- FE Index; Building materials -- Periodicals; 624.18
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-0618

Abstract

Highlights: HMA overlays and reflective cracking. The Texas flexible pavements and overlays database – The DSS. Evaluating the cracking resistance potential – Laboratory vs field performance. Correlating the monotonic-loading overlay tester (ML-OT) to field performance data. Fracture energy exhibited good correlation with field cracking performance data. Abstract: Reflective cracking is one of the dominant distress modes occurring when hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlays are placed over existing cracked flexible and/or jointed rigid pavements. In the laboratory setting, there are various tests – both of dynamic and monotonic loading modes – that can be used to measure, characterize, and quantify the cracking resistance potential of HMA mixes. However, one key challenge with most of these laboratory tests is correlations and validation with field performance data. Quite often, field data availability is a challenge or otherwise, needs costly long-term performance monitoring. Using the Texas flexible pavements and overlays database, namely the Texas Data Storage System (DSS), as the data source, this study was conducted to correlate and preliminarily validate the laboratory monotonic-loading overlay tester (OT) to the field crack performance of in-service highway sections. As excerpted from the DSS, four HMA mixes and six in-service highway sections (overlays) were used. Overall, the monotonic-loading OT test exhibited promising potential as a repeatable test (coefficient of variation [COV] < 30%) for evaluating and quantifying the cracking resistance potential of HMA mixes in the laboratory relative to the field performance of in-service highway sections. In particular, the following HMA fracture parameters, fracture energy ( FE), tensile strength ( σt ), FE Index, and peak load ( Pmax ) from the monotonic-loading OT test, with COV values less than 30%, were able to statistically differentiate the HMA mixes (statistical groups ≥ 2) and also correlated well (coefficient of determination [ R 2 ] > 60%) with the measured field cracking performance data.