Investigation of Layer Contributions to Asphalt Pavement Rutting

Abstract

As one of the main distresses that may occur in asphalt pavements, rutting affects pavement performance the most significantly. This paper presents the investigation of the contributions of the structural layers to the total rutting in the asphalt pavements with semirigid bases through in situ excavation of transverse trenches and cores taken in the selected typical pavements on a real-world expressway. The selected pavements exhibited different depths of rutting. Laboratory rut testing was conducted on the core samples. Statistical analysis was undertaken to evaluate the effects of the layer properties sensitive to the variations of temperature on the rutting. The results indicated that the high temperature stability of the asphalt intermediate course had the greatest effect on the rut development. This paper presents the regression relationship established between rut depth and dynamic stability for each structural layer in asphalt pavements. In addition, the criteria for the dynamic stability are provided for asphalt base courses on different longitudinal grades.