Date of Award
8-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Civil Engineering
Committee Member
Dr. Bradley J. Putnam, Committee Chair
Committee Member
Dr. Amirreza Esmaeilpoursaee
Committee Member
Dr. Prasad R. Rangaraju
Abstract
Joints are the weakest area of an asphalt pavement and longitudinal joint cracking occurs for a number of reasons that lead to low density, low indirect tensile strength, and high permeability at the joint. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the different joint construction used in South Carolina and perform comprehensive testing and analysis to compare the effects of multiple variables on the quality and performance of the longitudinal joints. In South Carolina, 9 asphalt resurfacing projects were selected for sampling to make observations, conduct field testing, and cut cores from the joint and interior portion of the pavement for lab testing. The selected asphalt pavement constructions consisted of 3 different surface type mixes (surface type A, B, and C), 2 longitudinal joint construction techniques (safety edge and butt joint construction), and 1 rolling pattern (hot overlap). Like other research studies, the performance of longitudinal joint was significantly worse than interior portions of the mat with respect to density, permeability, and/or indirect tensile strength (ITS). The compacted asphalt pavement density shared a direct and indirect relationship with ITS and permeability, respectively. The safety edge did not significantly improve the quality or performance of longitudinal joint. Through statistical analysis, surface mix type and depth of the compacted asphalt pavement were able to improve the performance of the joint.
Recommended Citation
Kim, Eric Mu-Young, "Evaluation of Asphalt Longitudinal Joint Construction and Practices in South Carolina" (2017). All Theses. 2735.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/2735