The

Role of Perpetual Pavements

in Delivering
Smooth, Safe and Well-Maintained Roads
David E. Newcomb, P.E., Ph.D.
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University

Australia & Texas:

A Case for A Partnership!

Pavement Engineer Genome Project

People
Texas: 25,674,681 (2011)
Australia: 22,328,800 (2011)
Texas has cowboys.
Australia has stockman.
Both love country music.

Wide Open Spaces

Animals that Hop

Only Texas has the Jackalope

Marsupials

Pavement Basics
Layers are necessary to provide economy while
protecting weak materials

Pavement Design:
Where were we?

Using 1960s performance equations

1950s type of load
Thin pavement structures (Max. 6 HMA)
Meaning of structural coefficients
Limited reliability analysis
Some movement to M-E

AASHO Road
Test Trucks

AASHTO Design Equation

PSI
log
4.2 1.5

log W18 = Z R S0 + 9.36 log(SN + 1) 0.20 +

+ 2.32 log M R 8.07
1094
0.4 +
(SN + 1)5.19

Perpetual Pavement Design Features

}
Max Tensile Strain

Zone
of
High
Compression

38 75 mm (1.5 - 3) SMA, OGFC or Superpave

Rut Resistant
Intermediate Course
75 100 mm (3 4)

Durable Base
100 250 mm (4 10)

Pavement
Foundation

Perpetual Pavement versus

Conventional Design
HMA Thickness, in.

25
20
15

AASHTO
PerRoad

10
5
0
0.1

10
Traffic, ESAL

100

1000

Perpetual Pavements
Resist Structural Distresses
Fatigue Cracking
Rutting

Withstand Climate and Traffic

Design for Subgrade Modulus

Use Strong Foundation
Mix Design
Materials Selection

Perpetual Pavement Advantage

Efficient Design No Overdesign

Avoid Reconstruction
Reduce Rehabilitation
Reduce Life Cycle Cost
Reduce Energy Consumption
Reduce Materials Use

DESIGN CURVES FOR

ASPHALT PAVEMENTS
500
DBM

400

DBM50
HDM

Thickness 300
of asphalt
layers
200
(mm)
100

0
Design life (msa)

RATE OF RUTTING vs
BOUND LAYER THICKNESS
1000

100

Rate of
rutting
(mm/msa) 10

0.1

100

200

300

Thickness of bituminous layer ( mm)

400

New Jersey I-287

Surface Cracking

Design Applications
High Volume Pavements
MEPDG
PerRoad
TTI
Low and Medium Volume Pavements
PerRoad
High Modulus Bases
Pavement Rehab SHRP 2 Project R23
Using Existing Pavement in Place and Achieving Long Life
Rubblization
Overlays

Performance

Perpetual Pavement Awards

European Studies
Oregon and Washington Studies
New Jersey
Connecticut
Kansas
Review of interstate performance
Test sections

Asphalt vs. PCC Life

1000

Lane Miles

800

WSDOT
Interstate Ages

HMA (Lane Miles)

PCCP (Lane Miles)

600

400

200

0
0 - 10

11 - 20

21 - 30

31 - 40
Age (Years)

41 - 50

51 - 60

61 or More

Smoothness
1200
HMA (Lane Miles)
PCCP (Lane Miles)

1000

Lane Miles

800

600

WSDOT Interstate Roughness

(2004)

400

200

0
0.0 - 0.5 0.5 - 1.0 1.0 - 1.5 1.5 - 2.0 2.0 - 2.5 2.5 - 3.0 3.0 - 3.5 3.5 - 4.0 4.0 - 4.5 4.5 - 5.0 5.0 or
More
IRI (m/km)

RUBBLIZATION WITH PERPETUAL

PAVEMENT OVERLAY
VERSUS
REMOVE/REPLACE PCC

First Cost Comparisons

One Lane-Mile (7040 SY)
Case 1: Rubblization with Perpetual Pavement
Case 2: Remove PCC and Replace with PCC

Case 1
Perpetual Pavement with
Rubblization
Rubblize 28 cm PCC
Overlay with 20 cm HMA

Initial Cost:
2013 Bid Tabs

CO Rubbl. ~ $5.00
CO SMA ~ $85.00
CO HMA ~ $75.00
TX HMA ~ $70.00
WA HMA ~ $85.00

Item

Unit Cost

Edge
Drains

5.00/ft
16.40/m

Rubblize

5.50/yd2
6.57/m2

HMA
Overlay

80.00/ton
88.00/t

Case 2
Remove/Replace PCC
Remove PCC
Replace with 11 PCC

Item

Unit
Cost

Remove PCC

25.00/yd2
29.90/m2

PCC
Placement

41.00/yd2
49.04/m2

Initial Cost:
2013 Bid Tabs PCC
CO ~ $34.00
WA ~ $47.00

Initial Cost Comparison

Cost, $/lane-mile

500000
400000
300000

= 32%

200000
100000
0
Rubblize and
Overlay

Remove/Replace
PCC

General Experience
First Cost: Rubblization ~ 32% less than
remove/replace
Speed of Construction: days vs. weeks
Impact of User Costs?

Work Zone Assumptions

1 mile long
4 lanes
One lane open each direction during work
40,000 ADT

Case 1
Rubblization: One lane-mile/day production
Paving: 2 lane-miles/day
Sequence
3 bottom lift
3 2nd lift
2 3rd lift
24 hour closure until 2nd asphalt lift
12 hour closure for 3rd

Case 2
Remove/Replace PCC
Removal: 2000 SY/day ~ 2 days/lane 24 hr/day
Trim Base and Set Dowels 12 hr
Paving: 0.75 mile/day 11 hr
Curing: 3 days 24 hr/day

User Costs

Cost, $/lane-mile

70000
60000

= 58%

50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Rubblize and Overlay

Remove/Replace PCC

Life Cycle Costs

Asphalt
Initial Construction
Overlay Every 15 years

Concrete

Initial Construction
Grind at Year 15
Overlay at 25 years
Overlay at 35 years

Life Cycle Costs

Cost, $/lane-mile

700000
600000

= 22%

500000
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
Rubblize and Overlay

Remove/Replace PCC

Summary
Perpetual Pavement design is improving
More efficient pavements
More cost-effective

Construction issues need to be addressed

Perpetual Pavement is Less Expensive
Initial Cost
User Cost
Life Cycle Cost

Tools for Performing Perpetual Pavement

Design and LCCA
LCCA Software Asphalt Pavement Alliance
Follows FHWA Guidance
LCCA Software Full probabilistic analysis
LCCA Express Direct comparison of two options
deterministic.
Design Software
PerRoad Full Perpetual Pavement Design
PerRoadXpress Better for lower volume roads, streets
and parking lots
www.AsphaltRoads.org