NS755 - MnDOT Research & Innovation

NS755: Review of field produced innovative asphalt concrete mixtures

Problem

MnDOT has piloted the design and construction of a modified mix design called Superpave5 since 2020 on some projects across the state. Superpave5 uses design and in-place constructed air void content requirement of 5% instead of the current Superpave requirement of lab design air voids of 4% and field construction air voids of 8%. Aggregate properties stay unchanged in mix design specification criteria, but additional lab performance tests are done, and the design gyrations are reduced. With these piloted sites in place for several years, now is the time to review the performance of these projects and recommend the best application for its use.

Objective

This project aims to compare the Superpave5 construction data, pavement management performance data, and field performance to MnDOT’s conventional asphalt pavement design. Recommendations will be made for its proper use in MN and any design improvements. This research study will involve documenting and reviewing construction data, analyzing performance data, and doing field reviews to make the needed recommendations.

After reviewing field performance, mix design and production documentation, the goal is to develop best practices with recommendations for the application of Superpave5 in Minnesota moving forward.

Previous research

Most relevant results included in literature search.

Expected outcomes

New or improved business practices, procedure, or process

Expected benefits

The numbers 1 and 2 indicate whether the source of the benefit measurement is from:

A specific research task in your project that will be measuring this particular benefit, or
A separate effort to analyze data provided by the state or local agency involved in this project.

Increase Lifecycle: (1)
- This research would enable a better understanding of how these new mixes are performing in the field, the right application of these mixes in the field, and whether improvements need to be made in the design process of Superpave5.