Louisiana's Experience with Open-Graded Friction Course Mixtures

Abstract

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) began developing open-graded friction course (OGFC) mixtures in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Then, in the late 1980s, a moratorium was imposed on their use because of some early failure issues. However, OGFC mixture performance and service life have improved significantly since a new generation of OGFC mixture was promoted in the United States in the late 1990s. Inspired by the success of other state agencies, the Louisiana DOTD modified the earlier mix design and constructed four new OGFC sections during the past decade to evaluate pavement performance and safety benefits. This paper includes a comprehensive evaluation of Louisiana OGFC mixtures based on their laboratory and field performance. Laboratory work entailed material and mixture design in addition to numerous laboratory tests, namely permeability, draindown, tensile strength ratio, and loaded wheel test. Field evaluation involved visual inspection, pavement condition survey, skid resistance, and traffic safety. With few exceptions in the laboratory, the selected OGFC mixtures showed the potential to meet current Louisiana DOTD specifications, as well as various performance standards established by previous studies. The field analysis indicated that the OGFC test sections showed improved rutting, cracking, and skid performance when compared with typical Superpave® roadway sections. This performance evaluation will likely support the ongoing use of OGFC mixtures in the state of Louisiana. Additionally, the evaluation provides an opportunity to continually improve the current OGFC specification and mix design procedures adopted by the Louisiana DOTD.

Evaluation of self-healing of asphalt concrete through induction heating and metallic fibers

“…Furthermore, the study concluded that the addition of RAS to the mixtures showed a better rutting performance. Figure 2.10 Rut depth vs. asphalt mixture types (Cooper et al 2014) In a research conducted by Kabir et al [2012], Louisiana OGFC mixtures were evaluated based on their laboratory and field performances. In order to capture the rutting potential and moisture susceptibility of OGFC mixtures, a Hamburg LWT test was conducted on the mixtures.…”

A review of the characterization and evaluation of permeable friction course mixtures

“…In addition, previous research [13,33] concluded that the conventional test method (AASHTO T 166; based on the specimen saturated surface-dry weight) was not applicable for computing the bulk specific gravity of the compacted PFC mixture, G mb , and subsequent calculation of the total AV content.…”

“…Main causes of raveling can be related to materials selection and response as well as mix design including: (i) moisture damage (i.e., stripping) in the PFC mixture or in the underneath HMA layer [11,13,60], (ii) asphalt oxidative aging [45], (iii) limited asphalt film thickness [11], (iv) asphalt draindown [60], and (v) aggregate degradation during compaction. Raveling can also be associated with inadequate construction practices that include: (i) lack or poor tack coat underneath the PFC mixture, (ii) improper mixture compaction [61], and (iii) aggregate and temperature segregation [60].…”

“…The advantages also include improvement of pavement markings visibility in wet weather [12], better, or at least comparable, surface friction [6,[13][14], and cleaner runoff water [15]. As a consequence, reduction of accidents has been reported as a benefit from the PFC mixtures implementation [16].…”

Laboratory Investigation of an Alternative Permeability Indicator to Determine Optimal Maintenance Timing for Open-Graded Friction Course

“…Porous asphalt is sometimes used interchangeably with OGFC with respect to mix design, however, a distinct difference between porous asphalt and OGFC is that OGFC only serves as a surface drainage layer, while porous asphalt serves as a drainage structure by absorbing and storing storm water and discharging it into the ground (3,4). OGFC has gained an increased popularity in the many states where heavy rainfall events occur frequently, such as Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia (5,6) OGFC mix design includes selection of asphalt binder and aggregate, determination of optimum binder content, and performance evaluation. The aggregate skeleton affects the long-term durability and porosity performance of OGFC pavement.…”