Performance Prediction of the NCAT Test Track Pavements Using Mechanistic Models

In the pavement industry in the United States of America, there is an increasing desire to improve the pavement construction quality and life for new and rehabilitated pavements. In order to improve the quality of the pavements, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has pursued a performance-related specification (PRS) for over 20 years. The goal of PRS is to provide material and construction (M&C;) properties that correlate well with pavement performance. In order to improve upon the PRS projects developed in WesTrack (NCHRP 9-20) and the MEPDG-based PRS (NCHRP 9-22), a set of PRS tests and models are proposed to provide a critical link between pavement performance and M&C; properties. The PRS testing is done using the asphalt mixture performance tester (AMPT).;The proposed PRS focuses on rutting and fatigue cracking of asphalt mixtures. The mixtures are characterized for their stiffness, fatigue behavior, and rutting resistance using a dynamic modulus (|E*|) test, a fatigue test, and a triaxial stress sweep (TSS) test, respectively. Information from the fatigue test characterizes the simplified viscoelastic continuum damage (S-VECD) model. Once the stiffness is reduced to a certain level, the material develops macro-cracks and fails. The TSS test is used to characterize a viscoplastic (VP) model. The VP model allows the prediction of the rut depth beneath the center of the wheel. The VECD and VP models are used within a layered viscoelastic (LVE) pavement model to predict fatigue and rutting performance of pavements.;The PRS is evaluated by comparing the predictions to the field performance at the NCAT pavement test track in Opelika, Alabama. The test track sections evaluated are part of the 2009 test cycle group experiment, which focused on WMA, high RAP (50%), and a combination of both. The fatigue evaluation shows that all sections would last at least 18 years at the same traffic rate. The sections do not show any cracking, suggesting the sections are well-built and a long life is possible. The rutting in the test track is also predicted. All the predicted rut depths are 2-4 mm higher than measured in the field, but the overall ranking of different pavement sections matches the ranking in the field quite well. Conclusions and recommendations for future research are drawn from the observations made from experimental results as well as performance prediction of NCAT pavement sections.