Full-Scale Emergency Paving Demonstration of Hot-Mixed and Warm-Compacted Asphalt

Abstract

Asphalt can be more effectively used in emergency paving operations than it has been in previous years. This paper is the culmination of a multiyear emergency paving effort which demonstrated at full-scale that asphalt concrete can be mixed at traditional hot-mixed asphalt (HMA) temperatures, hauled for several hours, and placed at warm-mixed asphalt (WMA) temperatures for disaster recovery. After hurricanes, power is often out over large areas, which limits response activities, especially when pavement damage is present. Increased haul distances permit production of asphalt in areas with power and functional infrastructure. The demonstration hauled asphalt for 1.–1.5 h, placed all materials with a paver, and compacted these materials to average air void levels of 7–12% using only one roller and a predefined pattern. Wheel tracking of specimens cored or sliced from field-compacted test strips revealed no problems for emergency paving. An emergency pavement compacted to even modest levels should last at least a few thousand truck passes.