Soil cement has been used as a means of stabilizing highway pavement layers, airport pavement layers, embankments, and foundations for decades. The technology uses a compacted mixture of soil, cement, and water to form a hardened material layer that has specific strength and durability properties. Even after decades of utilization, however, design of soil cement pavement layers has room for enhancement. This thesis investigates factors that influence the design and performance of cement stabilized pavement layers in Mississippi. A survey was conducted to collect information about soil cement design procedures from across the U.S. The factors examined in the laboratory investigation are strength gain with time, unconfined compressive strength variability, elastic modulus, and wheel tracking. More than 1,100 specimens were tested to determine the influence of these factors on the design and performance of soil cement pavement layers.

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Mustaque Hossain / The ultra-thin bonded bituminous surface (UBBS), popularly known as Novachip, is a thin hot-mix asphalt layer with high-quality, gap-graded aggregates bonded to the existing surface with a polymer-modified emulsion membrane. This thin surfacing improves ride quality, reduces road-tire noise, minimizes back spray, and increases visibility under wet conditions. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has been using UBBS since 2002. Performance of this thin surface treatment strategy has been good in Kansas and elsewhere. However, some of these projects are now being rehabilitated. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) materials from existing UBBS layers can be used in chip seal and Superpave mixtures. UBBS millings were studied with two different polymer-modified emulsions to assess their performance as precoated aggregates in chip seal. The ASTM D7000-04 sweep test was used to assess chip retention of UBBS millings. Three different mix designs were developed for both 12.5-mm and 9.5-mm nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS)Superpave mixtures using a PG 70-22 asphalt binder and three different percentages (0%, 10%, and 20%) of reclaimed UBBS materials. The designed Superpave mixes were then tested for performance in terms of rutting and stripping using the Hamburg wheel tracking device (HWTD)and moisture sensitivity by modified Lottman tests. Sweep test results showed that UBBS millings did not improve chip retention. Superpave mix design data indicated volumetric properties of Superpave mixes with UBBS millings met all requirements specified by KDOT. HWTD and modified Lottman test results indicated all designed mixes performed better with the addition of UBBS millings as RAP materials. Field performance of UBBS projects was also evaluated. It was found that pavements treated with UBBS showed high variability in service life with majority serving six years. Before and after (BAA) studies showed that UBBS reduces pavement roughness, transverse and fatigue cracking one year after the treatment. However, no consistent improvement in rutting condition was found.

To evaluate the performance of Warm Mixture Asphalt (WMA) with varying amounts of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in comparison with Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA), comprehensive laboratory and field evaluations were conducted. Mix designs were performed for both WMA with a LEADCAP additive and HMA with large amounts of fractionated RAP materials. Hamburg Wheel Tracking (HWT) test was performed to evaluate the rutting and moisture susceptibility of both HMA and WMA laboratory mixtures. HMA mixtures with up to 50% RAP materials by binder replacement exhibited a better performance than WMA mixtures. However, when RAP materials were increased to 75% both WMA and HMA mixtures showed a superior performance. When a specially designed LEADCAP additive for a mixture with a high RAP content called "RAPCAP" was used, the performance was significantly improved. The existing Asphalt Bond Strength (ABS) test (AASHTO TP91-11) was modified to better evaluate the adhesion bond between asphalt binder and aggregate surface. Based on the modified ABS test results, it was found that the asphalt binder type significantly influenced the adhesion bond. To evaluate the performance of WMA mixtures in the field, test sections were constructed in Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio. The test sections were successfully constructed with less compaction effort than HMA and met the required field densities per each DOT's specification. All HMA and WMA mixtures collected from the test sections passed the HWT and the modified Lottman tests, which indicates high resistance to rutting and moisture damage. The asphalt binders were then extracted and recovered from the field samples then re-graded following AASHTO M320 and AASHTO MP19-10. The recovered asphalt binder grades were found to be higher than the target grades due to the existence of RAP materials in the mixtures except for asphalt binders extracted from WMA mixtures produced using "RAPCAP" additive.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Civil Engineering / Mustaque Hossain / The engineers from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) often have to decide whether or not to accept non-conforming Superpave mixtures during construction. The first part of this study focused on estimating lives of deficient Superpave pavements incorporating nonconforming Superpave mixtures. These criteria were based on the Hamburg Wheel-Tracking Device (HWTD) test results and analysis. The second part of this study focused on developing accelerated mix testing models to considerably reduce test duration. To accomplish the first objective, nine fine-graded Superpave mixes of 12.5-mm nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) with asphalt grade PG 64-22 from six administrative districts of KDOT were selected. Specimens were prepared at three different target air void levels @ N[subscript]design gyrations and four target simulated in-place density levels with the Superpave gyratory compactor. Average number of wheel passes to 20-mm rut depth, creep slope, stripping slope, and stripping inflection point in HWTD tests were recorded and then used in the statistical analysis. Results showed that, in general, higher simulated in-place density up to a certain limit of 91% to 93%, results in a higher number of wheel passes until 20-mm rut depth in HWTD tests. A Superpave mixture with very low air voids @ N[subscript]design (2%) level performed very poorly in the HWTD test. HWTD tests were also performed on six 12.5-mm NMAS mixtures with air voids @ N[subscript]design of 4% for six projects, simulated in-place density of 93%, two temperature levels and five load levels with binder grades of PG 64-22, PG 64-28, and PG 70-22. Field cores of 150-mm in diameter from three projects in three KDOT districts with 12.5-mm NMAS and asphalt grade of PG 64-22 were also obtained and tested in HWTD for model evaluation. HWTD test results indicated as expected. Statistical analysis was performed and accelerated mix testing models were developed to determine the effect of increased temperature and load on the duration of the HWTD test. Good consistency between predicted and observed test results was obtained when higher temperature and standard load level were used. Test duration of the HWTD can thus be reduced to two hours or less using accelerated mix testing (statistical) models.

At the beginning of the Master’s thesis the asphalt mixture of the type asphalt concrete and its basic properties are described. The main point of this work is to compare the functional properties of asphalt mixtures with the addition of higher amount of RAP and various rejuvenators used in the experimental section. From individual samples of asphalt mixtures taken during the laying, the control tests were carried out and the process of permanent deformation with the wheel tracking test was monitored. After that, using functional tests the properties of asphalt mixtures with conventional modified and unmodified asphalt bitumen enriched with the addition of declaring similar properties were compared.

The diploma thesis is focused on the comparison of the influence coarse-grained aggragate on the properties af asphalt concrete. The theoretical part describes issue of production and usage of asphalt mixtures. The practical part evaluates multiple types of asphalt mixtures and describing their properties. Stiffness by a two-point bending test, a wheel tracking test and low-temperature cracking and properties by uniaxial tension test were used to evaluate the properties of the mixtures.

This master's thesis deals with the design of two asphalt mixtures for a wearing course containing 35 % R-material. The asphalt mixtures use a soft bitumen modified with crumb rubber (CRMB) or the unmodified soft binder itself with a penetration grade of 70/100. The work verifies the effect of crumb rubber as a bitumen modifier on the properties of the asphalt mixture with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). At the same time, the work deals with the possibility of using higher amounts of reclaimed asphalt pavement only in combination with a softer binder without the use of rejuvenating additives. The properties of asphalt binders and mixtures are verified using suitable functional tests. Furthermore, the proposed mixtures and their results are compared from various perspectives. At the same time, the thesis in the theoretical part deals with the dosing of a reclaimed asphalt pavement into the asphalt mixture and describes the handling and use of reclaimed asphalt pavement in the Czech Republic and abroad