Mix Design of Pavement Overlay Systems

BONDED OVERLAY SYSTEMS

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Bonded overlays are used to add structural capacity and/or eliminate surface distress
when the existing pavement is in good structural condition.
Bonding is essential, so thorough surface preparation is necessary before resurfacing.
Types of Bonded Overlays
Bonded Concrete Overlays of Concrete Pavements
Bonded Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Pavements
Bonded Concrete Overlays of Composite Pavements

BONDED OVERLAYS OF CONCRETE PAVEMENTS

1993 AASHTO GUIDE

Assumes complete bond for entire overlay life.

Existing pavement effective structural capacity is based on the Condition Survey or the
Remaining Life methods. These two methods have different limitations and may yield
inconsistent or unreasonable results.
Pavement designers are familiar with this design process and variables. It has been
around for nearly 20 years.

MEPDG

Integrates slab geometry, climatic factors, and concrete material and layer properties
into thickness design compared to the 1993 AASHTO Guide.
Assumes complete bond for entire overlay life.
This method is still under evaluation, calibration, and implementation by state highway
agencies.

BONDED OVERLAYS OF ASPHALT PAVEMENTS

1993 AASHTO GUIDE

Assumes complete bond for entire overlay life.

Existing pavement effective structural capacity is based on the Condition Survey or the
Remaining Life methods. These two methods have different limitations and may yield
inconsistent or unreasonable results.
Pavement designers are familiar with this design process and variables. It has been
around for nearly 20 years.

MEPDG

The user inputs the number of months after which the bond between the concrete and
asphalt changes from bonded to unbonded.
Similar to the 1993 AASHTO Guide, the MEPDG treats the existing asphalt as a base
material that contributes to the concrete layer stiffness.

Not applicable to thinner (2 to 6 in.) bonded overlays of asphalt pavements. The analysis
is limited to slab sizes greater than or equal to 10 ft, and this type of concrete overlay
typically has shorter slab sizes.
The MEPDG currently refers to the ACPA method for thinner (2 to 4 in.) bonded overlays
of asphalt pavements.

ACPA BCOA

Evaluates smaller slab sizes, the use of structural fibers in the overlay concrete, and
bond plane failure.
Data used for this methods calibration are currently limited to 15 years of overlay
performance, and designers need to be careful when extrapolating for longer design life
periods.
The current default values in the ACPA web application for the temperature gradient
information are representative of the climate conditions in the state of Illinois. Current
efforts to define this information for different locations throughout the U.S. are ongoing
and are to be included in the web application when available.

BONDED OVERLAYS OF COMPOSITE PAVEMENTS

1993 AASHTO GUIDE

Not applicable to bonded overlays of composite pavements

Does not account bond and shorter joint spacing, uses a composite k-value, and
conservative overlay thickness design.

MEPDG

Allows for loss of bond over time, implying that the bond is short term.
Not applicable to thinner bonded overlays (2 to 6in.) because the analysis is limited to
slab size greater than or equal to 10ft and this type of concrete overlay typically involves
shorter slab sizes.

ACPA BCOA

Addresses bond plane failure, shorter joint spacing, and the use of structural fibers in
the overlay concrete.
Not originally developed for overlays of composite pavements but can be used correctly
if the equivalent stiffness of the supporting structural layers is input properly.

UNBONDED OVERLAY SYSTEMS

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Unbonded overlays are used to rehabilitate pavements with some structural

deterioration.
The existing pavement provides a foundation for the unbonded overlay that in turn
serves as a new pavement with increased structural capacity.

Types of Unbonded Overlays

Unbonded Concrete Overlays of Concrete Pavements

Unbonded Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Pavements

Unbonded Concrete Overlays of Composite Pavements

UNBONDED OVERLAYS (ALL TYPES)

1993 AASHTO GUIDE

The effective structural capacity of existing concrete and composite pavements is based
on the Condition Survey or the Remaining Life methods. These two methods have
different limitations and may yield inconsistent or unreasonable results.

MEPDG

Integrates slab geometry, climatic factors, and concrete material and support layer
properties compared to the 1993 AASHTO Guide.
The asphalt and concrete are treated as un-bonded structural layers without any
frictional consideration with the concrete overlay.

Geofibers as Reinforcements in Road Pavements

Geofibers - are usually polypropylene fibers blended into soils to create an ideal reinforcement
system for the repair of slope failures, reinforcement of pavement subgrades, foundation
stabilization, and improvement of retaining wall backfill.
Advantages of Geofibers:

Space Savings - Sheet-like, geofibers take up much less space in a landfill than do
comparable soil and aggregate layers.

Material Quality Control - Soil and aggregate are generally heterogeneous materials that
may vary significantly across a site or borrow area.

Construction Quality Control - Geofibers are manufactured and often factory

prefabricated into large sheets. This minimizes the required number of field
connections, or layers.

Cost Savings - Geofibers materials are generally less costly to purchase, transport and
install than soils and aggregates.

Material Deployment - Layers of geofibers are deployed sequentially, but with a minimum
of sway between layers, allowing a single crew to efficiently deploy multiple geofiber
layers.

Material Availability - Numerous suppliers of most geofibers and ease of shipping insure
competitive pricing and ready availability of materials.

Environmental Sensitivity Geofibers systems reduce the use of natural resources and
the environmental damage associated quarrying, trucking, and other material handling
activities.

Applications of Geofibers in Road Pavements:

Subgrade Separation and Stabilization - problems are usually encountered when

the subgrade consists of soft clays, silts and organic soils. This type of subgrade is
often unable to adequately support traffic loads and must be improved.

Geosynthetic solution - the presence of the geofiber restrains lateral

movement of both the aggregate and the subgrade, improving the
strength and stiffness of the road structure.
Benefits:

Separation - at small channel depth, the strain in the geofiber is also small.
In this case, the geofiber acts primarily as a separator between the soft
subgrade and the aggregate.
Stabilization - For larger channel depths, more strain is induced in the
geofibers. Thus the stiffness properties of the geofiber are essential. A
considerable reduction in aggregate thickness is possible by the use of a
geofiber having a high modulus in the direction perpendicular to the road
centerline

Base Reinforcement

Overlay Stress Absorption and Reinforcement

Base Reinforcement
Permanent roads carry larger traffic volumes and typically have asphalt or portland cement
concrete surfacing over a base layer of aggregate. The combined surface and base layers act
together to support and distribute traffic loading to the subgrade.
Problems are usually encountered when the subgrade consists of soft clays, silts and organic soils.
This type of subgrade is often water sensitive and, when wet, unable to adequately support traffic
loads. If unimproved, the subgrade will mix with the road base aggregate degrading the road
structure - whenever the subgrade gets wet.
Typical Solutions
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Costly and always time consuming

Excavated and replaced
Addition of cement, lime or excess aggregate

The Geosynthetic Solution cost effective alternative

have been found to provide a TBR in the range of 1.5 to 70, depending
on the type of geosynthetic, its location in the road, and the testing
scenario.

Preventing lateral spreading of the base

Increasing confinement and thus stiffness of the base
Improving vertical stress distribution on the subgrade
Reducing shear stress in the subgrade

Overlay Stress Absorption and Reinforcement

Cracks in the pavement surface cause numerous problems. A geosynthetic interlayer can be
placed over the distressed pavement or within the overlay to create an overlay system. The
geosynthetic interlayer contributes to the life of the overlay via stress relief and/or reinforcement
and by providing a pavement moisture barrier.
Geosynthetic Benefits

Stress Relief - high elongation and low tensile

Allows considerable movement around a crack but nullifies or at least lessens the effect
the movements have on the overlay.
Waterproofing - becomes a moisture barrier within the pavement
Reinforcement - resists horizontal movement of cracks