The demands placed on modern road infrastructure continue to increase. Greater traffic volumes, heavier loads, changing environmental conditions and the introduction of new pavement materials all make it increasingly important to understand how an asphalt mix will actually perform in service.
Traditional asphalt testing methods such as Marshall mix design have played an important role in mix design history, but their empirical nature can make it difficult to accurately predict issues such as rutting and cracking under real-world conditions. Performance-based approaches such as Superpave™ (Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements) were developed to provide a closer connection between laboratory testing and expected pavement performance.
Why Performance Testing Matters
Performance-based testing allows laboratories and pavement engineers to evaluate how asphalt mixtures are likely to respond to different stresses before they are put into service. This can provide greater confidence when developing mixes designed for improved durability, resistance to cracking and rutting, and longer pavement life.
It can also support the use of alternative and more sustainable materials. By assessing performance rather than relying solely on traditional specifications, engineers have greater scope to investigate options such as recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), warm-mix asphalt and other innovative mix designs.
For New Zealand, this is an important development in materials testing. As pavement design becomes increasingly performance focused, laboratories need testing equipment capable of delivering the precision and repeatability required to properly evaluate modern asphalt mixtures and Geo-Con is geared up to support the industry with cutting-edge testing equipment in full conformance with the AASHTO standards within NZTA M10 specification.
CONTROLS has produced an excellent overview of Superpave™ and the move towards sustainable, high-performance asphalt pavements, including the role of modern laboratory testing and equipment such as the Superpave Gyratory Compactor, DWT Double Wheel Tracker and AsphaltQube Dynamic Testing System.
For a more detailed look at the technology and research behind performance-based asphalt testing, read the full CONTROLS article on Superpave™ and high-performance asphalt pavements.