Low-temperature cracking is one of the most common road pavement distress types in Poland. While bitumen performance can be evaluated in detail using bending beam rheometer (BBR) or dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests, none of the normalized test methods gives a comprehensive representation of low-temperature performance of the asphalt mixtures. This article presents the Bending Beam Creep test performed at temperatures from −20 °C to +10 °C in order to evaluate the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. Both validation of the method and its utilization for the assessment of eight types of wearing courses commonly used in Poland were described. The performed test indicated that the source of bitumen and its production process (and not necessarily only bitumen penetration) had a significant impact on the low-temperature performance of the asphalt mixtures, comparable to the impact of binder modification (neat, polymer-modified, highly modified) and the aggregate skeleton used in the mixture (Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) vs. Asphalt Concrete (AC)). Obtained Bending Beam Creep test results were compared with the BBR bitumen test. Regression analysis confirmed that performing solely bitumen tests is insufficient for comprehensive low-temperature performance analysis.

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Abstract. The paper covers the following topics important for the development of the new Polish Catalogue of typical flexible and semi-rigid pavements: reasons for preparing the new issue of the Catalogue of typical flexible and semi-rigid pavements, items introduced in the new issue, organise the terminology related to pavements, design traffic calculations and new equivalent axle load factors, new materials and technologies included in the Catalogue, classification of subgrades based on the soil material and drainage conditions, designing of lower layers and improved subgrade, designing of the main, upper layers.

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This publication describes research and design works which were conducted at the Gdansk University of Technology for the purpose of development of new catalogue of typical flexible and semi-rigid pavement structures. The studies included: standardization of pavement structures terminology, study of foreign pavement structures catalogues and design methods, analysis of fatigue criteria for design of flexible and semi-rigid pavements, analysis of road traffic, based on weight in motion data, design of subgrade improvement, incorporation of new pavement materials, recycled and anthropogenic materials, determination of mechanistic parameters of materials and design of pavement structures using mechanistic-empirical methods of pavement design.