Predicting Hot-Mix Performance From Measured Properties: Phase I Report (0-1708-1)

The problem of providing pavements that perform as designed is a major concern among state transportation agencies. In the face of budget restrictions, it is imperative that the expected performance be achieved when a highway is put into service. Of importance to addressing this problem is the recognition that performance should drive not only the design process but also the construction process. This approach would necessitate the development of materials and construction specifications that are tied to pavement performance and the development of test equipment and procedures to evaluate the quality of the contractor's work based on predicted performance.|Project 1708, "Predicting Hot-Mix Performance from Measured Properties," aims to develop rational, reliable, and practical test procedures for evaluating the quality of the finished pavement based on predicted performance. To accomplish this objective, the Texas Department of Transportation established a threephased work plan that calls for: 1) conducting a detailed review of recent and ongoing related studies at the state and federal level (Phase I); 2) identifying mixture-, construction-, and structural-related properties that are significant predictors of pavement performance and are under the contractor's control (Phase II); and 3) identifying/modifying existing procedures or developing new procedures that relate the properties identified in Phase II to the expected field performance (Phase III).|This report represents the culmination of Phase I research activities. This report presents: 1) detailed review of the state-of-knowledge with respect to test methods for measuring construction quality indicators of relevance to this study; 2) available models to establish the impact of the contractor's operations and decisions on expected performance; and 3) a proposed work plan for Phase II and Phase III to develop rational and practical test methods for evaluating the quality of hot-mix asphalt concrete pavements.