Asphalt specifications for a Wet Handling
tracks are very stringent in the sense of Coefficient of adherence and homogeneity of this coefficient along the time. Currently, asphalt mixture pavements used in wet conditions have a very limited useful life and this keeps degrading following different patterns according to the different asphalt mixtures used.
This is because of many reasons but mainly as a consequence of supporting big strains and the extreme conditions during its whole useful life submitted for having the asphalt completely deep in water for most of its live time as well as climatic weather conditions. Moreover, Wet Handling pavements should provide very specific and stable adherence values for vehicle testing during the asphalt aging evolution.
Consequently, the study, execution and testing of new asphalt concrete mixture pavements and its materials for Wet Handling Track is necessary to reach durable, homogenous in time and cost effective pavements with very low adherence parameters.
Choose different asphalt mixtures according to available aggregates and bitumen, test these mixtures in lab, lay the mixtures in house, age the mixtures and collect data during and after aging have been the steps executed in order to get the appropriate feedback for performing the study
This paper presents the procedure used for the design, execution, aging and analysis of the performances of three asphalt trial sections laid at the Applus+ IDIADA’s
Wet Handling track.
The study also analyses the procedure used for choosing the different pavements features, adherence values, durability and behaviour along time using an accelerated aging method in an open lab as the IDIADA Wet Handling Track itself. The conclusion of the study presents a method to study different asphalt mixtures and to choose the optimal according to the specific premises that each project have.