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A engenharia rodoviária emprega pistas-teste para avaliação de materiais, do dimensionamento estrutural e de métodos executivos de pavimentos, de modo a submeter a estrutura de pavimentos a condições reais de clima e de tráfego. Há no mundo numerosos programas de monitoramento de pistas-teste que vêm contribuindo significativamente para o avanço da tecnologia dos pavimentos. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho se propõe a avaliar o desempenho de quatro segmentos asfálticos sequenciais de um trecho experimental executado na Rodovia Fernão Dias (BR-381), que liga as cidades de São Paulo a Belo Horizonte, sob concessão pela empresa ARTERIS, sujeita a tráfego muito pesado. As estruturas de pavimentos construídas para este estudo são: pavimento flexível executado com base de Brita Graduada Simples (BGS), pavimento semirrígido executado com base de Brita Graduada Tratada com Cimento (BGTC), pavimento com base asfáltica constituída de material fresado (RAP) estabilizado com emulsão asfáltica e pavimento com base asfáltica constituída de material fresado (RAP) estabilizado com espuma de asfalto. A avaliação do desempenho foi realizada a partir de análises dos resultados de monitoramentos funcionais e estruturais realizados em campo periodicamente até a idade de 15 meses. Em laboratório, realizou-se a caracterização dos materiais empregados na construção utilizando o módulo de resiliência como parâmetro para avaliar a rigidez dos mesmos. A partir de análises funcionais, procedeu-se à avaliação da progressão de defeitos, dentre eles a irregularidade longitudinal, afundamentos em trilha de roda e características de superfície. Como foco principal, foram analisados o comportamento mecânico de cada segmento. As bacias de deslocamentos foram avaliadas por meio de indicadores estruturais e utilizadas para realização de retroanálises com o objetivo de estudar a variação destes indicadores e dos módulos das camadas, a depender do volume de tráfego acumulado e condições climáticas. Estes dados foram também empregados para relacionar as estruturas com os defeitos de superfície, além de alimentar um modelo computacional em elementos finitos que descreve o comportamento mecânico dessas estruturas. Os resultados obtidos nos monitoramentos periódicos e nas análises realizadas mostraram que o pavimento flexível não é adequado ao tráfego muito pesado e a partir dos 12 meses não atendia os limites da ANTT para rodovias sob concessão federal, enquanto o pavimento semirrígido mostrou-se adequado e estável ao longo do período estudado e os pavimentos reciclados apresentaram um ganho nos parâmetros estudados, devido ao processo de cura dos materiais utilizados, além de comportamento adequado ao tráfego submetido. / The highway engineering adopts road tests to evaluate pavement materials, structural design methods and pavement construction characteristics, with the goal of subjecting the pavement structure to real climate and traffic conditions. There are several road test monitoring programs worldwide, which significantly contribute to pavement technology development. The present study evaluates the performance of four pavement sections within a road test located in Rodovia Fernão Dias (BR-381), that connects São Paulo and Belo Horizonte cities under concession of Arteris, and is subjected to heavy traffic. The pavement structures built can be described as follows: flexible pavement with crushed stone base layer, semirigid pavement with cement-treated crushed stone base layer, pavement with base layer of RAP stabilized with emulsion asphalt and pavement with base layer of RAP stabilized with foamed asphalt. The pavement performance was evaluated by means of a functional and structural periodic field monitoring during 15 months. In laboratory, the materials stiffness was characterized from resilient modulus tests. The functional analysis was conducted to study the progression of pavement distresses, such as roughness, rutting and surface characteristics. Furthermore, as the main focus structural aspects were analyzed. Deflection basins were evaluated from its parameters and used for backcalculated moduli analysis, with the objective of comprehend the susceptibility of these parameters and layers moduli to climate and traffic conditions. These results were used to compare the structures with surface distresses, and were also used as input of a computational finite element model to describe the mechanical behavior of these structures. The results obtained from the periodic monitoring and analysis showed that the flexible pavement is not suitable for very heavy traffic and from the 12 months it did not meet the ANTT limits required for highways under federal concession, while the semi-rigid pavement proved to be adequate and stable during the studied period and the recycled pavements with presented an improvement in the studied parameters, due to the curing process of the materials used, and also presented adequate behavior to the submitted traffic.

A engenharia rodoviária emprega pistas-teste para avaliação de materiais, do dimensionamento estrutural e de métodos executivos de pavimentos, de modo a submeter a estrutura de pavimentos a condições reais de clima e de tráfego. Há no mundo numerosos programas de monitoramento de pistas-teste que vêm contribuindo significativamente para o avanço da tecnologia dos pavimentos. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho se propõe a avaliar o desempenho de quatro segmentos asfálticos sequenciais de um trecho experimental executado na Rodovia Fernão Dias (BR-381), que liga as cidades de São Paulo a Belo Horizonte, sob concessão pela empresa ARTERIS, sujeita a tráfego muito pesado. As estruturas de pavimentos construídas para este estudo são: pavimento flexível executado com base de Brita Graduada Simples (BGS), pavimento semirrígido executado com base de Brita Graduada Tratada com Cimento (BGTC), pavimento com base asfáltica constituída de material fresado (RAP) estabilizado com emulsão asfáltica e pavimento com base asfáltica constituída de material fresado (RAP) estabilizado com espuma de asfalto. A avaliação do desempenho foi realizada a partir de análises dos resultados de monitoramentos funcionais e estruturais realizados em campo periodicamente até a idade de 15 meses. Em laboratório, realizou-se a caracterização dos materiais empregados na construção utilizando o módulo de resiliência como parâmetro para avaliar a rigidez dos mesmos. A partir de análises funcionais, procedeu-se à avaliação da progressão de defeitos, dentre eles a irregularidade longitudinal, afundamentos em trilha de roda e características de superfície. Como foco principal, foram analisados o comportamento mecânico de cada segmento. As bacias de deslocamentos foram avaliadas por meio de indicadores estruturais e utilizadas para realização de retroanálises com o objetivo de estudar a variação destes indicadores e dos módulos das camadas, a depender do volume de tráfego acumulado e condições climáticas. Estes dados foram também empregados para relacionar as estruturas com os defeitos de superfície, além de alimentar um modelo computacional em elementos finitos que descreve o comportamento mecânico dessas estruturas. Os resultados obtidos nos monitoramentos periódicos e nas análises realizadas mostraram que o pavimento flexível não é adequado ao tráfego muito pesado e a partir dos 12 meses não atendia os limites da ANTT para rodovias sob concessão federal, enquanto o pavimento semirrígido mostrou-se adequado e estável ao longo do período estudado e os pavimentos reciclados apresentaram um ganho nos parâmetros estudados, devido ao processo de cura dos materiais utilizados, além de comportamento adequado ao tráfego submetido. / The highway engineering adopts road tests to evaluate pavement materials, structural design methods and pavement construction characteristics, with the goal of subjecting the pavement structure to real climate and traffic conditions. There are several road test monitoring programs worldwide, which significantly contribute to pavement technology development. The present study evaluates the performance of four pavement sections within a road test located in Rodovia Fernão Dias (BR-381), that connects São Paulo and Belo Horizonte cities under concession of Arteris, and is subjected to heavy traffic. The pavement structures built can be described as follows: flexible pavement with crushed stone base layer, semirigid pavement with cement-treated crushed stone base layer, pavement with base layer of RAP stabilized with emulsion asphalt and pavement with base layer of RAP stabilized with foamed asphalt. The pavement performance was evaluated by means of a functional and structural periodic field monitoring during 15 months. In laboratory, the materials stiffness was characterized from resilient modulus tests. The functional analysis was conducted to study the progression of pavement distresses, such as roughness, rutting and surface characteristics. Furthermore, as the main focus structural aspects were analyzed. Deflection basins were evaluated from its parameters and used for backcalculated moduli analysis, with the objective of comprehend the susceptibility of these parameters and layers moduli to climate and traffic conditions. These results were used to compare the structures with surface distresses, and were also used as input of a computational finite element model to describe the mechanical behavior of these structures. The results obtained from the periodic monitoring and analysis showed that the flexible pavement is not suitable for very heavy traffic and from the 12 months it did not meet the ANTT limits required for highways under federal concession, while the semi-rigid pavement proved to be adequate and stable during the studied period and the recycled pavements with presented an improvement in the studied parameters, due to the curing process of the materials used, and also presented adequate behavior to the submitted traffic.

The most common use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is in the lower layers of a pavement structure, where it has been proven as a valid substitute for virgin materials. Instead, the use of RAP in surface mixes is more limited, with a major concern being that the high RAP mixes may not perform as well as traditional mixes. To reduce risks of compromised performance, the use of RAP has commonly been controlled by specifications that limit the allowed amount of recycled material in the mixes. However, significant cost and environmental savings can be achieved if more RAP is included in the surface layer. This dissertation develops an approach that can be followed to incorporate more RAP in the surface mix while maintaining good performance. The approach is based on the results from three studies that looked at how to optimize the design of the mix, in terms of rutting and fatigue resistance, when more RAP is used. In the first study, a high RAP control mix and an optimized mix designed using different design compaction energy (65 and 50 gyrations respectively) were compared. The optimization process consisted in the definition of an alternative mix composition that supported the higher binder content allowed by the lower design compaction energy. Using Accelerated Pavement Testing and laboratory characterization it was possible to assess the potential of mix optimization with the objective of improving rutting resistance. The testing showed no indication that the optimized mixes would have rutting problems, supporting the implementation of the reduction of the design compaction energy level. The optimized mix exhibited a similar or superior rutting resistance in the full-scale setting, in the laboratory, and in the forensic investigation. The second part focused on the production of highly recycled surface mixes capable of performing well. To produce the mixes, a balanced mix design (BMD) methodology was used and a comparison with traditional mixes, prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) volumetric mix design, was performed. Through the BMD procedure, which featured the indirect tensile cracking test for evaluating the cracking resistance and the Asphalt Pavement Analyzer for evaluating rutting resistance, it was possible to optimize the selection of the optimum asphalt content. Also, it was possible to obtain a highly recycled mix (45% RAP) capable of achieving better overall performances than traditional mixes while carrying a large reduction in production cost. The final part evaluated the laboratory performance of four different highly recycled surface mixes to support their possible implementation in the state of Virginia. The mixes featured either 30% or 45% RAP, different asphalt contents, the use of a WMA additive, and a rejuvenator. To analyze the mixes' performance in great depth, a three-level (base, intermediate, and advanced) testing framework was defined. Each level was characterized by an increasing degree of complexity and included tests to characterize both the cracking resistance and the rutting resistance. The study aimed at investigating the features of the various laboratory tests. Through the review of the theoretical background, the evaluation of the test procedures, and statistical analysis of the results, it was possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each test and to provide guidelines to develop appropriate quality assessment criteria and mix design methodology. In summary, throughout this research, it was possible to observe that the respect of Superpave mix design requirements alone, with particular reference to gradation limits and volumetric properties, was not guarantee of satisfactory performance in terms of both cracking and rutting resistance. To increase the confidence in the RAP properties, increase the current recycling levels, and introduce more appropriate mix design specifications, BMD could be used (even with simple laboratory tests) to check performance-based criteria. / Doctor of Philosophy / Nowadays, transportation agencies are expected to perform a large number of pavement rehabilitation projects, while facing major limitations in budgetary funds. In order to have safe, efficient, and cost-effective roadways, the economic advantage of recycling is boosting an effort to increase the amount of RAP in asphalt mixtures. In addition, over the past decades, the environmental awareness of the transportation agencies and public increased significantly, pushing even more towards the use of new green technologies. The use of RAP became noticeable in the 1970s and its popularity increased significantly since that time. However, there are still many open questions which prevent larger uses of recycled materials, mainly related to the design methodology and the field performances of recycled mixtures. Therefore, today there is a large untapped potential that would grow even more the magnitude of pavement recycling and of the associated benefits. New design procedures, based on the support of laboratory tests to characterize the mixtures, and full-scale experiments are the tools that pavement engineers can use in order to enrich the knowledge of highly recycled road materials and grow the confidence of public agencies and contractors towards these new more sustainable solutions. Throughout this dissertation it was possible to evaluate new innovative ways of incorporating more RAP in the asphalt mixtures through the analysis of current state of the art and the proposition of new procedures.

Subject of this diploma thesis is to describe the effect of adding different amount of aged binder recovered from RAP on the change of properties of polymer modified bitumen. The RAP containing unmodified bitumen and the RAP where we can expect bitumen modification are used to recover binder. The binder obtained from RAP is dosed into the virgin binder in amount of 15 %, 30 % and 50 %. The methods of recycling of flexible pavements, extraction and regeneration of asphalt binders, rejuvenating of their properties and methods of empirical and functional laboratory tests are described in the theoretical part. The practical part deals with evaluating and comparison of the results mixed binders properties.