UPDATES AND CRITIQUE OF SUPERPAVE METHOD

Presented by: Rachel Cano, Jennifer Lu, and Om Patel, Alfredo Perez

Overview

Background on Superpave Updates and Critiques of Superpave Method

Ndesign Binder

Modifications Restricted Zone

Summary

Background
Hveem Method (oil mix )
California Division of Highways Fusion of expensive high performance HMA methods used on major urban streets and highways and cheaper low performance penetration method used on lowvolume rural highways California, Oregon, Idaho, and Hawaii, and occasionally seen in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and Maine.

Marshall Mix Design

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research various HMA mix on airfield pavement Able to measure the deformation in a more convenient way than the Hveem method Used around the world due to its use in the US military and its simplicity and low cost

Background

SHRP : est.1987 by the U.S. Congress

Improve

the performance, durability, safety, and efficiency of the highway system

Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements

System of: standard specifications, test methods, and engineering practices that enable the appropriate materials selection and mixture design of hot mix asphalt to meet the climatic and traffic conditions of specific roadway paving projects.

Why Superpave?
To be able to: measurement of physical qualities of the mixture and its constituent materials with the changing nature of road use and environmental issues Goals:

To recommend asphalt binder type and mixture proportions based on environmental conditions, anticipated traffic loads, and layer location. To predict the ability of a mix to withstand rutting, fatigue, thermal cracking, and moisture damage through a series of laboratory tests. To integrate the binder and mix requirements into performance-based specifications for HMA pavement construction. To be fully comprehended by the State DOTs and the HMA industry.

-NDESIGN -BINDER MODIFICATIONS -RESTRICTED ZONE

Ndesign

Ndesign what is Ndesign? First Study Consolidations

Eliminated

climate functions From 28 to 7 levels Reinforced importance of Ndesigns relationship with volumetric properties of design mix

Ndesign (cont.)

Second Study test in place Superpave pavements Goals of study

Test

performance pavements using first table Select performance test for rutting Determine sensitivity of performance test in terms of Ndesign Recommend new Ndesign Table

Binder Modifications

Polymer-Modified Binder Superpave Plus

Binder Modifications (cont.)

Empirical Tests
Viscosity Based Binder Tests POLYMER MODIFIED BINDERS Performance Based Asphalt Specifications (PBA)

Problem: No equal playing field to compare polymer-modified binder Solution: Performance Based Asphalt (PBA) specifications established Allowed conventional testing methods to be used based on performance criteria such as rutting

Pavementinteractive.org

Binder Modifications (cont.)

New Method

How?

Allowed for more accurate PG grade assignments

Climate: Software automatically retrieves historical weather data Pavement depth Geographic Location
Results?

States have multiple PG grades per region Made it more difficult for regions to acquire the most ideal binder

Restricted Zone

A zone lying on the maximum density line extending from the 300 m (No. 50) sieve to the 2.36 mm (No. 8) sieve through which it is undesirable for the gradation to pass. First documented by Hveem (1940) Part of initial Superpave guidelines (1993)

Has been discredited since NCHRP Report 464 (2001)

http://pavementinteractive.org/index.php?title=Gradation_and_size#Restricted_Z one

Summary

Background on Superpave Updates and Critiques of Superpave Method

Ndesign Binder

Modifications Restricted Zone

References
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Superpave, Performance by Design: Final Report of the TRB Superpave Committee. Transportation Research Board miscellaneous report, 2005. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/sp/superpave.pdf. Accessed Nov. 20, 2010. "Superpave 2000 - Improved Standards for a New Millenium." Canadian Strategic Highway Research Program (C-SHRP) (1999). Print. Lewandowski, Laurand. "Superpave Binder Specs Get Refined." Http://www.roadsbridges.com. Roads & Bridges. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://www.roadsbridges.com/Superpave-Binder-Specs-Get-Refinedarticle1040>. Cooley, L. Allen, Jingna Zhang, Hand J. Adam, and Amy E. "Significance of Restricted Zone in Superpave Aggregate Gradation Specification." TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CIRCULAR E.C043 (2002). Print. Cooley, L. Allen, and P. S. Kandhal. "The Restricted Zone in the Superpave Aggregate Gradation Specification." National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 464 (2001). Print. Kuenen, Tom. "OBITUARY FOR RESTRICTED ZONE." ExpresswaysOnline Home. 2004. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.expresswaysonline.com/expwys/obit.html>.

ANY QUESTIONS?