Presentation by Peter Vacura of Caltrans on long-life asphalt pavements delivered at the CalAPA Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference held Oct. 24, 2013 in Sacramento, Calif.

1. LONG LIFE PAVEMENTS
Peter Vacura
Chief, Office of Asphalt Pavement
Pavement Program
California Asphalt Pavement Association
Fall Conference
October 24, 2013

2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
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Pavement Selection
Testing
Design (CalME)
Performance Specifications
Lessons Learned

3. Pavement Project Selection
• Identify location with long life in
mind
• Rehabilitation projects
• Life Cycle Costs/Scoping Document
• Program project for SHOPP Cycle

4. Testing
• As-builts of existing roadway
• Verify with coring and GPR
• Identify possible binder and
aggregate sources for testing
• Preliminary shear/fatigue testing

5. Design (CalME)
• Mechanistic Empirical approach
• Design for over 40 years
• Building materials library
• Based on Shear and Fatigue testing
• Establish Performance Requirements

6. Performance Specifications
• Based on Shear, Fatigue, Stiffness
• Meet certain levels of repetitions
• Beyond standard mix design
• Investigating Asphalt Material
Performance Tester (AMPT)

7. MIX DESIGN BASED ON
‘MECHANISTIC/PERFORMANCE’
LAB TESTING
• Hveem (CT 366)
• Shear Testing (T 320)
• Fatigue Testing (T 321)
• Hamburg WT (T 324)

8. LESSONS LEARNED
• New to industry
 Complex data analysis and
presentation
 Currently looking at ways to
simplify process
• Present test results more straight
forward manner
• Availability of testing labs
• Testing time

9. LESSONS LEARNED
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Pre-bid conference for potential
bidders very beneficial
Partnering Meeting used to ensure
an understanding by the contractor
and testing laboratory of the
performance test procedures

10. LESSONS LEARNED
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Anticipate the need for multiple
mix designs/iterations.
Schedule mix design and testing as
soon as possible
Ensure sufficient testing capacity
is available

11. LOOKING FORWARD
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Reevaluate performance
requirements (shear, fatigue)
Building of Materials Library
Investigate AMPT as an
alternate to the shear tester
(AASHTO T-320)
Pre-award qualification of mix
design(s)

12. Thank you