Title: ECONOMICS OF THIN ASPHALT PAVEMENTS FOR LOW VOLUME ROADS
Abstract: Thin asphalt pavements were developed to meet the public's demand for paved roads under limited road construction budgets. Measurement of the quality of service provided by various surface types, indicated that thin asphalt pavements provided the most cost effective service to the public for low to medium traffic volumes. The 20 mm thin asphalt pavement laid directly on a 7.4 M wide subgrade costs $9600/km to construct. The maintenance cost including required rehabilitation is $2500/km per year. The service life averages 14 years although many have lasted for up to 20 years. Densification of the subgrade under thin asphalt pavements by traffic compaction and desiccation is the main factor contributing to the durability of thin asphalt pavements. Construction procedures emphasize careful subgrade preparation. The asphalt mix can be prepared on the road or in drum mixers. Preventive maintenance procedures are described. Their major purpose is to prevent moisture from penetrating into the subgrade and to preserve acceptable riding quality. A riding quality monitoring system employing a car road meter is used to monitor the effectiveness of the maintenance effort. The authors believe that thin asphalt pavements could be cost effectively used in many arid and semi-arid areas of the world under low to medium traffic volume conditions. (Author/TRRL)
Publication Year: 1981
Publication Date: 1981-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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