Asphalt Material Characterization in Support of Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide Implementation in Virginia

The procedure proposed in the Guide for Mechanistic–Empirical Design of New and Rehabilitated Pavement Structures (referred to as MEPDG) heavily depends on the characterization of the fundamental engineering properties of paving materials. This paper presents the results of a project aimed at the characterization of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) in accordance with the procedure established by MEPDG to support its implementation in Virginia. The project examined the dynamic modulus, the main HMA material property required by MEPDG, as well as creep compliance and tensile strength, which are needed to predict thermal cracking. Loose samples of 11 mixes (four base, four intermediate, and three surface mixes) produced with PG 64-22 binder were collected from different plants across Virginia. Representative samples underwent testing for maximum theoretical specific gravity, asphalt content by the ignition oven method, and gradation of the reclaimed aggregate. Specimens for the various tests were then prepared by use of the Superpave® gyratory compactor. The test results showed that the dynamic modulus is sensitive to the mix constituent properties (aggregate type, asphalt content, percentage of recycled asphalt pavement, etc.) and that even mixes of the same type (SM-9.5A, IM-19.0A, and BM-25.0) had different measured dynamic modulus values. The Level 2 dynamic modulus prediction equation reasonably estimated the dynamic modulus measured; however, it did not capture some of the differences between the mixes found in the measured data.