Warm Mix Asphalt Demonstration Projects in Louisiana: Case Study of Five to Eight Years of Field Performance

Abstract

Warm mix asphalt (WMA) technology has gained popularity in recent years because of its ability to enhance mixture compaction at relatively low temperatures and to improve environmental sustainability. The role of WMA in sustainable pavement technology means that there is a need for comprehensive research in relation to its field performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the field performance of WMA pavement sections that have been in service for five to eight years. Four rehabilitation projects were evaluated throughout the State of Louisiana. The study included field and laboratory experiments. In the field experiment, WMA test sections were evaluated along with companion conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixture sections on each project. Pavement performance indicators (rutting, roughness, and cracking) from the Louisiana Pavement Management System (PMS) were analyzed. The laboratory experiment consisted of evaluation of mixtures from each project to determine mechanical performance indicators such as loaded wheel tracking (LWT) rut depth, flow number, semi-circular bend energy release rate (SCB Jc), and dissipated creep strain energy (DCSE). An analysis was conducted to rank the capability of laboratory mechanical performance properties to predict field performance. Generally, WMA test sections were found to exhibit similar or better rutting and cracking performance compared with their companion control HMA sections. In addition, the LWT rut depth was found to be a better indicator of field rutting performance than the flow number parameter. It is worth noting that the SCB Jc parameter was found to correctly rank more field cracking indicators than the DCSE parameter and therefore it may be a better indicator of field cracking performance.

Prediction of the Long-Term Performance of an Existing Warm Recycled Motorway Pavement

“…From a mechanical point of view, preliminary laboratory [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ] and field [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ] results are promising and suggest that a performance improvement can be obtained with respect to conventional HMA. However, also due to the relatively recent development of WMA technologies, limited data is currently available in the literature on the long-term performance of warm recycled asphalt pavements, especially under the effect of motorway heavy traffic.…”

Study on an Integrated LCA-LCC Model for Assessment of Highway Engineering Technical Schemes

“…Therefore, large-scale maintenance work is urgently needed. Among various regeneration technologies, it is necessary to select a technology with a high utilization rate of old materials, small environmental impacts, and low costs as an effective way to solve this problem [39,40].…”