Asphalt Portland Cement Concrete Composite: Laboratory Evaluation

Abstract

The lack of strain characteristics of rigid pavements and bridge deck overlays and the susceptibility of flexible pavements and hot‐mix asphalt overlays to abrasion wear, fuel spillage, and stripping suggests the search for a material that possesses the unique properties of both Portland cement concrete and hot‐mix asphalt such as asphalt‐Portland cement concrete composite (APCCC). APCCC is a hot‐mix asphalt with a high air void content (25–30%) filled with resin‐modified cement grout. The grout consists of Portland cement, fly ash, sand, water, and Prosalvia admixture. The resulting concrete has the properties of both flexible and rigid concrete. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the performance of APCCC under control conditions. The program included the following tests: stability, indirect tensile strength, compressive strength, resilient modulus, water sensitivity, freezing and thawing, and chloride intrusion resistance. The tests were performed at three levels of moist curing: no moist curing, one‐day moist curing, and three‐day moist curing. APCCC specimens were tested over a period of 28 days. The results were compared to those of hot‐mix asphalt and Portland cement concrete control specimens. The study concluded that APCCC strength and durability properties are better than those of hot‐mix asphalt. The chloride intrusion into APCCC specimens was found to be less than that into normal Portland cement concrete. The study shows that APCCC is an effective alternative material to be used as a bridge deck overlay.