Ultra-thin wearing course (UTWC) as an asphalt overlay is widely used in pavement maintenance for extending pavement service life. Researchers focused on improving and evaluating its performance, yet few researchers compare the performance of typical UTWCs. Moreover, some traditional asphalt mixture tests are improper for UTWC due to the thicknesses of UTWC, which is thinner than the traditional asphalt overlay. This study further evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of typical UTWCs. A series of tests were conducted to compare the comprehensive performance of three typical UWTC products, including SMA-10, Novachip-B, and GT-10. Moreover, this study improved the rutting test to evaluate its rutting performance more accurately. Rutting specimens of 20 mm thick and 50 mm thick composite specimens (20 mm UTWC + 30 mm Portland cement concrete slabs) were prepared. Two types of PCC slabs were used, including unprocessed PCC slabs and PCC slabs with preset cracks. The test results showed that Novachip-B showed the best water stability and weakest raveling resistance, while GT-10 showed the best fatigue and anti-skid performance. The rutting performance of UTWCs was reduced because of the influence of preset cracks. The rutting depth of GT-10 was only 60–90% of that of others, showing the comprehensive performance of GT-10 was better than that of others. These results provide a significant reference for the research and application of UTWC.

Remaining life is an important indicator of pavement residual effective service time and is directly related to maintenance decision-making with limited funds. This paper proposes a fast and non-destructive model to predict the remaining life of rigid PCC (Portland cement concrete) pavement, with or without asphalt overlay. Firstly, a model was constructed according to the current Chinese design specifications for concrete pavement integrating an inverse design concept. Secondly, the prediction model was applied to three typical pavement sections with 1430, 1250 and 1000 slabs, respectively. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) was utilized to determine the geometric parameters in the predictive model and the physical state of the pavement. A falling weight detector (FWD) was utilized for determination of the mechanical parameters. A more reasonable equivalent elastic modulus of foundation was back-calculated instead of using the limited model in the design specification. Thirdly, the remaining life was predicted based on the current mechanical and geometric parameters. The distributions of the remaining life of the three pavement sections was statistically analyzed. Finally, a decision-making system to inform maintenance strategy was proposed based on the remaining life and the technical condition of each slab. The results showed that the relationship between the remaining life and the mechanical parameters, geometric parameters and the physical state of the pavement was highly consistent with engineering experience. The success rate of the prediction model was as high as 96%. The proposed fast and non-destructive prediction model showed good engineering applicability and feasibility. The decision-making system was shown to be feasible in terms of economic benefits.