INNOVATION AND APT Henderson Yeo

Innovation and accelerated pavement testing: a means to achieve asset sustainability Mervyn Henderson
INNOVATION AND
ACCELERATED
PAVEMENT TESTING: A
MEANS TO ACHIEVE
ASSET SUSTAINABILITY
Mervyn Henderson, Project Manager, QDTMR,
Queensland
David Jones, Principal Investigator, University of
California, Davis, California, USA
Elzbieta Sadzik, Materials Engineer, ESJ
Consulting Engineers, South Africa
Les Sampson, Executive Director, Sampson
Consulting, South Africa
Richard Yeo, General Manager, R&D, ARRB
Group Ltd, Victoria
Synopsis
The rapidly changing world situation with the threat of climate change and the
increasing demand on natural resources, such as oil, coupled with the world financial
crisis has brought into focus the need to provide new and improved solutions for
Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads to secure a sustainable
future. Transport and Main Roads strategic priorities include improving safety of the
road environment and preserving the increasing road asset, both of which recognise
the need for new and improved solutions for the road network.
The formulation of a technology strategy and implementation plan is the starting point
for a coherent and sustainable approach to innovation through research and
development. Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) has been used in research
programs in many countries, including Australia, and has resulted in many tangible
and intangible benefits. Establishing APT is illustrated by its use in the California
Department of Transportation. The role and cost of APT in a research system are
Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 1

discussed. International cooperation between transportation agencies using APT

technology has benefitted participants through sharing of technology and insights.
Suggestions are given on a way ahead for establishing APT in Queensland as a tool
for innovation, development and research, and as part of a wider technology
strategy.
INTRODUCTION
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Main Roads (QDTMR) to secure a sustainable future.
In the Departmental Strategic Plan, priorities include:
• Improving safety of the road environment and
• Preserving the increasing road asset,
both of which recognise the need to provide new and improved solutions for better
performance of the road network.
Accelerated pavement testing (APT) is an excellent tool for rapidly testing and
justifying implementation of new and improved pavement related solutions. It can be
described as “Controlled application of wheel loading to pavement structures for the
purpose of simulating the effects of long-term in-service loading conditions in a
compressed time period” (NCHRP Synthesis 325, 20041). APT has been successfully
used in Australia and in many other countries for more than 30 years to develop
appropriate infrastructure design procedures. This paper investigates the potential of
using APT in Queensland to assist in meeting the strategic plan.
The objectives of this paper are to:
• Highlight the drivers for improvement of current road asset technology and
innovation for better performance of the road asset;
• Highlight the opportunities that APT affords the Department for achieving
asset sustainability;
• Present information on current and past APT programs in various parts of the
world;
• Consider a way forward for the incorporation of APT in a system of research,
development and innovation in pavement engineering in Queensland; and
• Invite discussion on a possible future for APT in Queensland and Australia.
Characteristics listed in the Department's Strategic Plan speak of officers of the
Department being known as proactive, responsive, strategic, progressive and

capable, and these give direction to how the Department might take up the
opportunities presented by the implementation of APT in Queensland.
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE RESEARCH NEEDS IN QUEENSLAND
There are several drivers in Queensland creating new demands for increased
performance of the road network, some of which are attributed are listed as follows:
• Higher expectations of the public with respect to safety and the quality of the
road network;
• Increasing traffic, vehicle dimensions, higher axle loads and super single tyre
usage;
• Providing and maintaining road infrastructure within a funding-constrained
environment;
• Increasing costs of road building materials,
• Higher temperatures and a wider range of temperatures from global warming,
and the likelihood of more extreme events (e.g., flooding and drought cycles):
seasonal inundation of Queensland road assets is likely to be more severe;
• The scarcity of and need for recycling and reuse of road building materials;
• Reduction of construction time to minimise traffic disruption and to reduce air
pollution;
• The need to take advantage of energy saving technologies;
• Very wet areas, such as areas subject to inundation in Queensland, very dry
areas, and areas with very poor subgrades (black soils) that would benefit
from new construction technology; and
• Environmental impacts and the need for more sustainable and
environmentally friendly road building materials and methods of construction.
The second point above is particularly relevant to Queensland. The need for
increased road freight productivity has been identified by the Council of Australian
Governments (COAG) and the Productivity Commission. The National Transport
Commission (NTC) has investigated the feasibility of an incremental pricing scheme
with the potential to provide benefits for the road transport industry and the overall
economy through improved freight productivity. The scheme would allow access to
parts of the road network to vehicles with heavier axle loads than the current legal
limits at an incremental cost to transport operators. The recent NTC survey indicated
62% of transport operators surveyed in Queensland had a reasonably strong interest
in carrying additional mass. The revenue from the scheme would be used to maintain
the road network and undertake supporting research.
However, one issue is that the knowledge of how pavements perform under heavier
axle loads is very limited, particularly where axle loads significantly exceed the
current load limits. There is significant reservation by road authorities (RAs) over
customer claims that past, or proposed RA costs due to changes in loadings, are
reasonably reflected in the additional revenue collected and passed on. Accordingly,
RAs take a prudential approach to protecting the assets because of the risks of its

accelerated destruction. Freight operators want to seize the opportunity of more

freight efficient vehicles and innovative combinations and are frustrated at the delay.
This knowledge gap needs to be addressed to enable a sound basis for an
incremental pricing scheme (Business case prepared by ARRB).
QDTMR and its customers, the freight industry, are therefore essentially hamstrung
by an inability to agree on risks and benefits in order to share in them. The risk to the
QDTMR is that they will underprice the use of their roads by heavy vehicles. The risk
to their customers is that the pricing will not be as low as possible, because the
uncertainty surrounding the real cost of heavy vehicles using the route leads to a
conservative estimate of pricing. The benefits to Queensland will be more productive
use of their asset and the benefit to their customers is financial, measured in terms of
productivity gains. Meeting the customer needs in terms of the proportion of road
networks available for use by heavier loads therefore depends on an ability to make
better business decisions, i.e. with lower risk, on allowing access to networks. This in
turn relies on some means of systematically reducing the risk component of these
decisions. Since the primary origin of the risk components is uncertainty about the
effect that higher loads may have on road pavements, closing this knowledge gap
offers a way of breaking the current impasse facing both RAs and their customers
(ARRB, 20092).
These drivers call for ongoing and new research and development that can usefully
employ accelerated pavement testing technology. As the pace of change has
increased significantly over the last two decades, the necessity for rapid and reliable
assessment of new road technologies becomes imperative to address the increasing
demands on the network and lower the risks in the application of existing and new
technologies.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: DEVELOPING A TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY
The Department’s vision for research and development (R&D) is ‘An active and
prioritised program of research and development that will maintain Main Roads in its
position as a good road agency and a good government agency that serves the
needs of Queenslanders' (Main Roads intranet).
The formulation of an integrated Departmental Technology Strategy and
Implementation Plan would be the starting point for a coherent and sustainable
approach to innovation through research and development and precede any
investment in APT.
The drivers listed above provide evidence that the use of APT as a research tool
could be very beneficial in improving existing technology, developing new solutions
and implementing these technologies with greater confidence. However, without a
well developed and integrated technology strategy, the use of APT may not achieve
optimal results and outcomes.
Briefly, technology strategy encompasses, but extends beyond R&D strategy. It helps
answer questions such as:
1. Which distinctive technological competencies and capabilities are necessary
to establish and maintain a sustainable business and industry?

2. At what level should the organisation invest in technology development?

3. Should technologies be developed internally or sourced externally?
4. How should technology and innovation be organised and managed?
Technology strategy can be conceptualised as an evolutionary organisational
learning process, as seen in Figure 1, which highlights the links between technical
competencies and capabilities, technology strategy, and experience though
implementation. Core competence emphasizes technological and production
expertise at specific points along the value chain whereas capabilities encompass
the entire value chain. Technology strategy is a function of the quantity and quality of
technical capabilities that feed into it. The experience that results from implementing
technology strategy similarly feeds back into technical capabilities and technology
strategy, thus continuing the cycle.
Figure 1: Capabilities-based organizational learning framework of technology

strategy (After Hampson, 20013)
Keith Hampson’s dimensions of technology strategy (Hampson, 20013) can be used
to better define priorities and evaluate alternative approaches to technology.
QDTMR has the opportunity to work with the Cooperative Research Centre for
Construction Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, and the ARRB to
assist with the development of a technology strategy for the department, which would
provide the context and direction for development and implementation of R&D
programs that will support the vision and objectives of the department. A Technology
Strategy is the foundation on which informed decisions can be based for the
acquisition of research tools, such as APT devices, as well the R&D program that
would drive such research tools.
THE PURPOSE OF ACCELERATED PAVEMENT TESTING
In his paper at the 3rd international Conference on APT, “Impacts and benefits of
APT: an APT operator's perspective” (Harvey, 20088), Professor John Harvey from
the University of California Pavement Research Center, suggests that the purpose of

APT is to provide a more cost-efficient answer to road infrastructure engineering

questions. The direct impacts of APT come from its ability to answer certain types of
questions. The benefits come from implementation of the answers to the questions
into pavement practice. The major types of questions that can be answered in a most
cost-effective way with APT are summarised as follows:
• Identification and highlighting of deficiencies in current practices, typically
related to weak or non-existent construction standards that, if changed, will
increase the life of maintenance and rehabilitation projects, and/or avoid the
risk of early failures;
• Evaluation of materials, designs, materials specifications and construction
standards before full scale implementation;
• Comparison between alternatives for materials, designs, materials
specifications and construction standards under controlled conditions to
determine the most cost effective solutions to problems;
• Assessment of the impact of changes in vehicle technology (tyres, wheel or
axle types and configurations, suspensions, and loads) on pavement
performance;
• Development of insight regarding pavement mechanics and damage
mechanisms and validation and calibration of models for pavement analysis
and design, including the following elements:
o Mechanistic models of the response of the pavement to water,
temperature and load in terms of deformations, stresses and strains,
and changes in the materials acting in the pavement system under
these conditions;
o The preliminary, empirical calibration of damage models, prior to moving
to field calibration; and
o Development and/or validation of representative laboratory test
methods.
• Assessment of variability. This is an area which Harvey considers important
for future research, both within projects and between projects, particularly
variability due to construction, and the use of recycled materials. Pavement
researchers have traditionally focused on deterministic models for pavement
behaviour and models and lamented the fact that construction often results in
early failure of what should be highly successful designs. APT experiments
need to pay greater attention to variability in their experiment designs. This will
become more important as the use of recycled materials increases. Much
greater attention needs to be paid to the 10th or 25th percentile performance
rather than the 50th or 90th percentile.
There are several good reasons (Mateos, 20084) why APT is an excellent tool to use
as part of an R&D program, addressing the questions listed previously. Reasons
include, but are not limited to the following:

• It can rapidly evaluate pavement performance to destruction—months instead

of years;
• Variables can be controlled—load related, pavement related, some
environmental;
• The ability to evaluate the contribution of specific variables to pavement
performance—load related, pavement related, some environmental;
• Testing of local materials, construction techniques and capabilities;
• There is no risk to traffic by failure of in-service pavement test sections;
• Understanding of pavement behaviour is improved, thus lowering risk to the
road asset by using optimal solutions that will increase road freight
productivity.
TYPES OF ACCELERATED PAVEMENT TESTING
There are several types of APT facilities as shown in Figure 2.
ROLLING WHEELS
{ •Linear Test Tracks
•Circular Test Tracks
{ •Fixed
•Mobile
TEST ROADS
{ •Real Traffic
•Controlled Loading
PULSE LOADING DEVICES
Figure 2: Classification of APT facilities (after Mateos, 20084)

The NCHRP Synthesis 235 (NCHRP Synthesis 235, 19965) provides the following
definitions:
• Test roads—where a section of pavement is loaded by controlled traffic,
usually typical trucks running under closely controlled conditions of load and
speed, e.g., the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) and MnRoad
test tracks in the USA.
• Test tracks—where linear or circular loading systems are used to apply loads
over relatively short pavement sections often built in a test pit of some form,
e.g., Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF), Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) and
Canterbury Accelerated Pavement Testing Facility (CAPTIF).
• Various forms of controlled loading configuration, for example, the BASt and
CEDEX facilities and the new GLTF in the Czech Republic.
There are at least 32 APT facilities exist in a variety of countries, with more being
commissioned (Hugo, 20096). Clearly APT is not an isolated novelty, but rather a
widely used research tool.
Examples of where APT has been used around the world are shown on the world
map in Figure 3.

Figure 3: APT facilities currently operating in the world (Balay, 20087)

The particular advantages and disadvantages of each type of testing facility are
summarized in Table 1. Devices that are neither fully fixed, nor operating full-scale
trucks on tracks, such as those at the LCPC, CEDEX and CAPTIF facilities, offer a
mix of the characteristics identified above.
Table 1: Comparison of fixed APT devices, test tracks and mobile devices
(after Harvey, 20088)
Fixed/ mobile devices Test roads
Controlled temperature and moisture Uncontrolled temperature and moisture
Slow speed trafficking Highway speed trafficking
Ability to vary load and to overload Not much ability to overload
Short sections Longer sections
Controlled wander More difficult to control wander
Little or no suspension interaction Realistic suspension interaction
Difficult to measure roughness Meaningful roughness measurement
The Australian Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF) is an example of a mobile device

for use on linear test tracks (Photograph 1).

Photograph 1: The Australian Accelerated Loading Facility operating indoors at

Dandenong, Victoria
Further examples of mobile facilities are given below in Photograph 2 to Photograph
4. Examples of track and road facilities are shown in Photograph 5 to Photograph 7.
Photograph 2: The Illinois ATLaS
Photograph 3: The Mobile Load Simulator 10

Photograph 4: The Heavy Vehicle Simulator
Photograph 5: The Canterbury Accelerated Pavement Testing Indoor Facility
Photograph 6: MnRoad test road, Minnesota

Photograph 7: LCPC test track, France
THE USE OF APT TO ADDRESS QUEENSLAND’S NEEDS

ALF represents proven Australian technology with a history of over 25 years service
in pavement performance testing. Apart from the one ALF operating in Australia, it is
recognised internationally with one ALF operating in China and three in the USA.
The ALF is a full scale pavement test system developed by the Roads and Transport
Authority, New South Wales, to enable assessment of road pavement performance
within a short time scale. The ALF is owned and operated by ARRB and has been
used to assess the:
• Estimated life of existing pavements;
• Validity of new methods of pavement design;
• Suitability of marginal, improved or innovative pavement materials;
• Effectiveness of changes in pavement construction procedures;
• Applicability of pavement rehabilitation techniques; and
• Effects of climate and traffic.
The ALF specification is given in Table 2. The load assembly, which tracks linearly, is
guided by the main frame. The wheel is lifted off the pavement at the end of each
cycle and supported by the main frame on its return.
For recent research projects, the ALF was housed at the ARRB indoor test facility at
Dandenong Victoria, which includes a shed 54 m in length and 18 m wide. The
indoor environment enabled pavement moisture to be controlled throughout the test
programs, which ensured that the experiments were undertaken in comparable
environmental conditions. However, as a fully mobile system, the ALF is capable of
testing in situ road sections. ALF has an extensive history of use in various locations
in Australia.

Table 2: ALF specification

Test wheels Dual tyres (e.g. 315/80 R22.2) or Wide super single tyre (e.g.
385/65 R22.5). Channelised or applied over any transverse
distribution up to 1.2 m width. Normal transverse distribution of
up to 1.2 m or 0.9 m wide
Mass of test wheel assembly 40 kN to 100 kN in 10 kN steps
Suspension for variable mass Air bag and shock absorbers
Power drive to wheel 2 x 11 kW electric geared motors, uni-directional operation,
wheels off pavement on return
Transverse movement of test User programmable; typically a Normal distribution about 0.9 m
wheels or 1.2 m wide between outer edges of the dual tyres
Test speed Nominally 20 km/h
Cycle time Approximately 9.5 seconds, 50,000 cycles per week based on 22
hours per day operation
Pavement test length Nominally 12 metres
Site constraints Max. grade: 1%; max. crossfall: 3%
Operation Automatic control system and fail-safe operation
Portability Readily detachable and transportable
Overall length 26.3 metres
Overall width 4.0 metres (operating); 3.2 metres (transport)
Overall height 5.7 metres (operating); 4.4 metres (transport)
Total mass Approximately 45 tonnes
Productivity Unavailability due to mechanical requirements is <10%
ALF has a strong history of use in Queensland. A summary of the trials conducted at
Beerburrum is presented in Table 3 and these trials cover a wide range of materials
and pavement types and issues. Between February 1986 and April 1995, 89
experiments were conducted on 61 test pavements in nine different projects, though
some were follow-on projects from earlier work. ALF was not permanently located at
Beerburrum throughout this period and was also used for experiments in NSW, SA
and Victoria. ALF did not return to Queensland after April 1995.
ALF is currently located in Victoria at a site at Dandenong, Melbourne. QDTMR have,
however, continued to support the ALF research program through support of the
Austroads technical research program and the involvement of its staff in various
Austroads Committees and Working Groups.
Table 3: Summary of ALF trials conducted at Beerburrum, Queensland
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The choice of APT device selected for use in Queensland should depend on what it
will be used for. It is likely that both specially constructed test tracks as well as real
roads would be tested, and therefore a mobile APT device is the most appropriate
type, as both a test road and a mobile device is unlikely to be funded. In Queensland
the mobile device of first choice would be an Accelerated Load Facility, by virtue of
its Australian credentials and many years of experience that ARRB has had
managing the ALF. The ability of the road asset to carry the freight task on specific
road links, especially those carrying increased axle loading, would require a mobile
device. The ability to simulate new axle configurations and loadings will also be an
advantage. However, prior to the purchase of any new APT device that would be built
from scratch, a proper analysis of the functionality, productivity, maintainability, first
cost and life cycle costs should first be undertaken to confirm that it is suitable for the
envisaged testing program.
EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
In Australia, strategies and programs of research are developed collaboratively
through Austroads with input by ARRB. Austroads is the association of the six state
and two territory road transport and traffic authorities and the Commonwealth
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local
Government. Austroads has a four year strategic plan and a specific three year
rolling Technical Research Agreement with ARRB. The Technical Research
Agreement covers programs of national research in the areas of:
• Pavement technology ;
• Asset management;
• Bituminous surfacings; and
• Road safety engineering.

A program of APT research is developed and managed through the pavement

technology research area with input from the surfacings and asset management
perspectives. Strategies for APT research are driven by the Austroads Pavement
Technology Review Panel and the Austroads Pavement Structures Group to address
key national issues.
In South Africa and California a three year and five year strategies respectively for
APT are developed to support the key strategic goals and objectives of transport and
construction, both provincially and nationally in SA and state-wide in California. The
strategy draws on national and provincial transport policies and strategic plans to
which they are aligned. They identify strategic areas for Heavy Vehicle Simulator
(HVS) testing along with other APT testing, laboratory testing, long term pavement
performance (LTPP) monitoring and other field investigations.
The mission is to effectively and efficiently use APT to develop and assess
technologies for the provision of cost-effective pavements in support of the overall
drive to improve accessibility, mobility and safety of road transport users. Typical
goals that APT contributes to are:
• Minimising premature pavement distress;
• Improving design procedures and models;
• Optimising material type, use and performance;
• Evaluating appropriate construction techniques;
• Quantifying pavement performance;
• Integrating APT, LTPP, laboratory testing and existing pavement knowledge;
• Optimising use of resources; and
• Developing human resources in pavement engineering.
The following strategic approach is taken:
• Optimisation of the various APT options with particular reference to the HVS
testing program;
• The development of a coordinated approach to APT through strategic
alliances and partnerships with other road owners and the private sector
• The development of technologies in line with industry needs and ensuring
appropriate transfer back to industry;
• Consultation with relevant stakeholders;
• Effective communication;
• Efficient dissemination of information; and
• Skills development program with targets.
The Figure 4 shows how the South African APT/HVS technology development
program fits into the overall strategic goals (2006/09 Gautrans strategy document).
Similar thinking was adopted for the California APT program, although with greater

focus on sustainable maintenance and rehabilitation strategies that are appropriate

for California conditions, e.g., limited traffic closure opportunities.
A Strategic Agenda for Transport in A Strategic Agenda for the APT/HVS
Gauteng Development Programme
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program supports these goals
In South Africa, APT supports the identified research needs from seven strategic
focus areas, namely:
• Sustainable development and the environment;
• Structural pavement design methods;
• Asphalt performance;
• Provision of low volume roads, including upgrading of unpaved roads;
• Vehicle pavement interaction, including dynamic loading, contact stresses and
comparative testing;

• Concrete pavements; and

• Labour-intensive construction
In each of the seven focus areas, a needs analysis was carried out to identify gaps
where APT-related investigations are required to improve the knowledge base in the
focus area. Projects were then identified and prioritised for consolidation and overall
prioritisation by the APT Steering Committee. This committee has wide
representation from government agencies, consultants, contractors, universities and
research organisations. This wide representation has led to excellent knowledge
sharing and cooperation among all parties, something that would also be a benefit to
all sectors of the Queensland road industry.
The summary tables in each focus area also show the projects divided into six areas
of investigation to highlight the projects requiring the HVS and other APT
investigations. The action plan for HVS testing and associated investigations was
developed from the tables. The investigatory categories are as follows:
• Desk Study, generally for preliminary investigation and detailed understanding
of the project needs;
• Heavy Vehicle Simulator testing needs;
• Other APT needs, e.g. using the Model Mobile Load Simulator;
• Laboratory testing needs;
• Long term pavement performance field needs, where formal LTPP sections
need to be established and monitored on an ongoing basis; and
• Other field investigation needs, which may be required on an ad hoc basis,
such as trial pits, Dynamic Cone Penetrometer surveys, profiling, deflection
surveys and riding quality surveys.
An example of a study on cold in-place recycling giving priorities is shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Example of the program for cold in-place recycling
Summary of Cold In Place Recycling (CIPR) projects
Research Areas of research Projects Priority

need
Treatment of Structural design Determination of shear strength and High

recycled strain-at-break for a range of materials
material using in association with HVS tests on low
foamed and quality materials*
emulsified
bitumen Appropriate surfacing layers for foamed High
and emulsified bitumen treated base
layers
Characterization of the subgrade Medium
conditions for recycling projects
Durability testing Investigation of the effects of wet/dry High

cycles on the engineering, mechanical
and durability properties*
Construction quality Development of control testing High

specifications and procedures for site laboratories
process control
Guideline for the development of High
contract specifications for process and
quality control

THE BENEFITS OF APT PROGRAMS

APT is a facet of pavement engineering that generates knowledge over a wide field.
It considers the entire process of pavement technology development, as shown in
Figure 5 (NCHRP Synthesis 325, 20041). APT also focuses research in a large-scale
device that usually brings together the
• Researchers;
• Computer simulations;
• Laboratory testing;
• APT sections; and
• Equipment used to test field sections.
Figure 5: Interrelationship between pavement engineering facets that

collectively and individually contribute to knowledge (NCHRP Synthesis 325,
20041)
Harvey (Harvey, 20088) observed that in bringing together mechanistic modellers,
experimental researchers and empirical network-level modellers, each of whom tend
to develop a ’warped sense of perspective on the importance of different questions
and approaches to solving problems when they work in isolation’, it can often result in
what has been described as the “brutal slaying of elegant theories by cold, hard
facts” (attributed to Thomas Huxley).
There are three categories of direct benefits to the road asset owner from an APT
program (Sampson, 20089), namely:
• Optimised materials and pavement design, which leads to reduced
construction costs;

• More reliable design and maintenance practice, which reduces the likelihood
of costly premature failures; and
• More cost effective materials and pavement designs, including innovative
products and designs, which optimise the time between maintenance
interventions and reduce the pavement life-cycle costs.
Harvey (Harvey, 20088), Sampson (Sampson, 20089) and Moffatt (Moffatt, 200810)
have listed the indirect benefits of accelerated pavement testing as including:
• Providing a focus for pavement research that leads to a more efficient
technology development process;
• The ability to closely observe and document construction practice and
understand its effect on performance;
• Ability to develop, validate and calibrate mechanistic-empirical design
methods, pavement design standards and guidelines, permitting wider use of
the APT results;
• The ability to cover the complete cycle of full-scale monitoring from
construction through trafficking to failure, and document the results in a short
enough period of time that the same team is involved from start to finish.
• Production of results that can be very easily understood by decision-makers
who are not pavement researchers, in a manner that cannot be remotely
equalled by researchers presenting results of a computer simulation or
laboratory test, or a network-wide set of field test sections.
• Contribution to better business performance, including the performance of
road authorities;
• Technology transfer to practitioners, raising the technical competence of
designers working for road agencies;
• Improved understanding of the pavement systems and layers;
• Contribution to technical progress—technical reports, export of technology,
patents.
• Contribution to human capital development:
o Masters and doctoral qualifications: APT is an ideal environment with
suitable thesis material for doctoral level study, as well as providing an
environment where laboratory staff, operators and others can learn a
variety of skills in an environment that is geared towards a thorough
understanding of pavement behaviour, with the tools to achieve that;
o The findings of the program have been instrumental in the formulation of
pavement materials specifications and best practice guidelines and,
through their dissemination in workshops and seminars, continually
improves and educates practitioners; and

o A constant and stable training ground for specialisation in technologies

related to road design, construction, rehabilitation and maintenance, as
well as providing direct employment opportunities.
The maximisation of the benefits from APT comes from consideration of a research
and development process, outlined as follows:
• Identification and selection of problems that present the possibility for the
largest benefits;
• Multi-level documentation, reporting and development of the results working
with the client; and
• Presentation of research results in a timely manner to research peers at
conferences and in journals, as well as peer groups from other state
departments of transport and their associated research universities.
Harvey (Harvey, 20088) believes that the final and best long-term measurement of
direct APT benefits will come from better connection of pavement research with
pavement management systems, including more comprehensive linking of project-
level construction materials and quality data with pavement performance data in
pavement management systems.
Cost-benefit ratio
Based on the published results (Rose, 199411, Sampson, 20088, Jooste, 200612), it is
clear that significant benefits can be derived from road technology development
projects. This stems largely from the size of most road networks, which introduces a
multiplication factor that greatly amplifies even small benefits resulting from
technology development projects. The overall benefit-cost ratio reported for the ALF
program (Rose, 199411) varies in the range of 3.0 to 6.0, with the exception of one
trial where the ratio was about 11. This range of estimated benefit-cost ratios is
similar to the range 2.4 to 6.1 reported from South Africa (based on the combined
networks of Gauteng and the South African National Roads Agency). The
calculations in Sampson’s paper (Sampson, 20089) only took direct impacts into
account.
Since none of the indirect benefits are included in the assessment of purely
economic benefits, the latter clearly represents a lower bound estimate. As
suggested by Scott (Scott, 200213), any simple linear benefit assessment process
fails to take into account the further downstream benefits and the impact of these
benefits on the population at large. This means that the benefit assessment, in all
probably, will greatly underestimate the true benefit.
Examples of more reliable design and construction practices
• In the mid 1980s there was a significant risk associated with use of sprayed
sealed surfaced granular pavements on heavily trafficked roads in Victoria.
Design traffic on the Hume Highway that links Melbourne and Sydney was
3×107 equivalent standard axles (ESAs) and there had been failures of this
pavement type elsewhere in the state. Much of the Hume Highway in New
South Wales was already being constructed using rigid concrete pavement at

significant additional cost to mitigate the risk of early failure and high
maintenance costs. Yet there would be significant benefits with reassurance
that a high quality sprayed seal surfaced granular pavement could be used
successfully for the Hume Highway traffic. There were significant lengths of
this highway to be constructed in Victoria over the following decade. The
Benalla ALF trial addressed this uncertainty. An initial section of the proposed
granular pavement construction was tested using ALF and shown to perform
very well under heavy axle loading. This ALF research assisted in verifying
and confirming the design and construction technology applied. The result was
a significantly lower life cycle cost, covering initial construction, maintenance
and rehabilitation for the Hume Highway in Victoria. The granular pavement
life cycle cost of $26/m2 applied to the subsequent construction of over
90 lane-km of highway. This can be compared to the alternative life cycle
costs of asphalt surfaced ($41/m2), deep strength asphalt ($46/m2), and rigid
pavement at $48/m2, all in 1986 dollars. The benefit-cost ratio for this research
was estimated to be 5.4 for savings in road authority costs alone over a 7 year
period (Rose, 199411).
Long term pavement performance (LTPP) monitoring, a feature of all ALF

trials of this nature, have verified the initial Benalla ALF trial research findings
for this pavement type.
It is interesting that similar challenges apply today in South Australia and

Western Australia where the traffic levels on a number of the highways and
freeways are now approaching or have already exceeded the boundaries for
the granular pavement technologies used. This highlights the needs for further
investigation of the possibilities for low-cost granular pavements in these
circumstances.
• The ALF was used to evaluate cement treated base (CTB) pavements in
Queensland. The study revealed a deterioration mechanism that develops due
to de-bonding of the CTB layers followed by water ingress where they are
placed in multiple lifts (Rose, 199411). The ALF trial on CTB pavements
identified the need to include special measures to ensure an adequate bond
between CTB layers, and to prevent ingress of water. The recommendations
stemming from the ALF investigation led to improved maintenance and
construction policies, which in turn reduced the number of incidences in which
early maintenance was needed owing to the effects of CTB de-bonding and
water ingress. Taking into account the savings in maintenance cost, as well as
the cost of the ALF investigations, a benefit-cost ratio of roughly 4 to 9 was
calculated for the impacts from the ALF trial.
• More recently, the ALF has been used to verify the fourth power law for
sprayed seal granular pavement types (Yeo, 200614). This work involved three
different pavement materials types with heavy ALF trafficking at three axle
loads representing standard loading and 1.5 and 2 times standard axle
loading. Coordinated ALF research in this area has also evaluated the relative

benefits of different maintenance treatments. In combination with data from

LTPP testing conducted over more than 15 years, the ALF and LTPP data
have been combined and used as the basis for development of new pavement
deterioration models for granular pavement types.
• While the original ALF applied single axle loading, current research is using a
modified ALF to investigate the relative damaging effects of single axles,
tandem axle groups and triaxle groups. This is fundamental research needed
to confirm or improve the current axle group load equivalencies that form the
basis of the Austroads Guide to pavement design. The current knowledge
relies heavily on data from the AASHTO road test conducted in the USA in the
late 1950s and follow-up response to load tests conducted in the 1970s.
• The South African HVS program on high quality crushed stone materials,
together with effective technology transfer, led to a widespread awareness of
the importance of timely maintenance on pavements with crushed stone
bases. The program quantified the differences in the performance of dry and
saturated materials and explicitly showed the importance of maintaining an
impervious surface seal. This finding established a culture of timely
resurfacing among road owner agencies in South Africa and is estimated to
have lead to significant savings (Jooste, 200415). The program also led to the
evolution of crusher run bases, originally used on roads designed for less than
1 million 80 kN axles, into a superior graded crushed stone base that could be
used with confidence for the very high traffic category (classified as 12 to 50
million 80 kN standard axles at the time).
• Tests in South Africa on cement treated base (CTB) pavements during the
1980s revealed a previously unidentified deterioration mechanism in CTB
layers. This distress mechanism consisted of crushing that occurs at the top of
CTB layers when these layers have inadequate crushing strength to withstand
the pressures imposed by traffic (De Beer, 199016). The HVS investigations
facilitated the incorporation of a method to evaluate the potential for crushing
failure in CTB layers. This method is now incorporated in the South African
pavement design method. This improvement has undoubtedly increased the
reliability of the design procedure for CTB pavements, which in turn reduced
the incidence of premature failures of CTB pavements.
• APT tests in California comparing rubber modified asphalt overlays with
conventional asphalt overlays found that equal or better performance
(specifically reflective cracking) could be obtained from rubber modified
overlays that were half the thickness of conventional overlays. A significant
number of highways are rehabilitated with overlays each year in California,
and adoption of a revised overlay design procedure using half-thickness
rubber modified binders is resulting in significant savings. Associated
laboratory testing also resulted in improved laboratory testing and data
analysis procedures to better understand the behaviour of rubber modified
mixes and more accurately predict performance. All rubber used in asphalt in
California is obtained from recycled tyres.

• APT was used to validate an innovative asphalt overlay design for the I-710
Highway in southern California, which is one of the busiest highways in the
United States and carries very high truck traffic to and from the Port of Long
Beach. Conventional overlay designs called for either a very thick asphalt
overlay on the badly cracked Portland cement concrete (PCC), with serious
consequences for overpass approaches, or reconstruction of the PCC. The
lack of sufficient alternative routes excluded any long traffic closures. A
section of the highway was “recreated” at the UC Berkeley Richmond Field
Station and overlaid with three lifts of asphalt each with a different mix design
(rich bottom layer over fabric to prevent reflective cracking, stiff middle layer to
prevent rutting and provide structural integrity, and a polymer modified top
layer to further limit rutting and provide a durable wearing surface. APT test
results were analysed using an innovative fracture mechanics approach to
predict performance under various scenarios. Based on the findings, the
rehabilitation design procedure was adopted and implemented resulting in
significantly reduced risk, lower costs, and minimal traffic disruption. It is
unlikely that the method would have been implemented without HVS
validation.
The three decade effort of the APT program in Australia and South Africa and the 10
year program in California has undeniably supported innovation and produced
benefits that have enabled the road asset owners to enhance asset sustainability.
The establishment of accelerated pavement testing in Queensland will support
innovation and asset sustainability for the Department and its customers.
Example of Establishing a New Accelerated Pavement Testing Program
In 1994, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) purchased two
refurbished HVSs from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in
South Africa at a cost of about $1 million each. One HVS is used for field testing
around the state if required, or together with the second HVS in more controlled
environments on test tracks at the University of California (UC) Davis Advanced
Transport Infrastructure Center, or UC at Berkeley Richmond Field Station. A new
HVS MkVI will replace one of the existing machines in 2010.
Existing APT technology was selected instead of developing new equipment as a
means to fast-track implementation of the technology, obtain assistance in
establishing and operating the equipment, and promote interactions on data analysis,
interpreting and reporting. The agreement between Caltrans, the University of
California, and CSIR included training of operators, assistance with APT strategies
and experimental designs, opportunities for masters and doctoral students to study at
UC Berkeley and UC Davis while working on APT related projects, and opportunities
for technology transfer of areas of common interest between South Africa and
California.
Since 1995, field tests have been conducted on some 40 sections at five in-service
highway sites, three of which were on rigid pavements and two on asphalt
pavements (recycled with foamed asphalt and warm-mix asphalt). More than 70 test
sections have been tested at the university facilities covering:

• Structural design,
• Rutting and cracking performance,
• Moisture sensitivity, and
• The design and performance of overlays using modified binders.
Examples of successful APT related technology transfer projects include:
• Mechanistic-empirical design,
• Pavement recycling,
• Various asphalt design issues, and
• Stabilization.
The Caltrans Accelerated Pavement Testing (CAL/APT) Program, over the last ten
years, has conducted some 23 major projects, applying more than 3.5 billion
equivalent standard axle loads, resulting in more than 80 publications. The program
is notable not only for its magnitude and complexity, combining the results of the
HVS and laboratory tests with real pavement performance are leading to
recommendations for pavement design and construction for Caltrans, but also for the
integration into short term practice-oriented investigations of the continuing thread of
more fundamental enquiry and the exercise of a substantial effort to implement the
findings.
Total program costs, of which APT is a component, have averaged about US$3
million a year over the past ten years and the benefits have been estimated as of the
order of US$600 million. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the 10 year APT
program in California is currently being prepared.
Successfully establishing ALF in Queensland using Australian technology should be
less difficult and complex than the transfer of technology from South Africa to
California, especially if the relevant lessons learned from the California experience
can be incorporated into the proposed Queensland initiative. The benefits of being in
partnerships and the proven technology should also accrue to a Queensland
initiative.
THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF OPERATING AN ACCELERATED PAVEMENT
TESTING FACILITY IN QUEENSLAND
A business case was recently prepared by ARRB (ARRB, 20092) for the
establishment of a national pavement asset research centre (NPARC). Such a
research centre would allow a coordinated approach to providing the research
capability needed to address a Technology Strategy as described above. The
concept would bring together key stakeholders such as road agencies, ARRB,
universities and the transport and construction industries. The objective would be to
address key knowledge gaps by identifying immediate solutions based on current
knowledge followed by a medium to longer term program of research to verify and
expand current knowledge. A range of approaches would be required including long
term monitoring of underlying pavement and asset deterioration rates for current and
changed traffic loading scenarios as well as use of an Accelerated Loading Facility to

provide short term rapid answers on pavement performance. It was envisaged that
NPARC would involve a series of regional research nodes addressing particular local
issues coordinated through ARRB on a national basis.
Typical activities of a Queensland research node could be:
• /RQJWHUPPRQLWRULQJRIWKHSHUIRUPDQFHRINH\URDGOLQNVZLWKLQUHJLRQDO
freight routes to capture learning’s from changes in the axle loading applied on
those links.
• 5DSLGHYDOXDWLRQRIFXUUHQWQHZDQGLQQRYDWLYHSDYHPHQWVWUXFWXUHVZLWK
mobile APT devices, such as the Accelerated Loading Facility, as currently
used by ARRB in Melbourne. These could include pavements situated in
areas with high plasticity (black soil) subgrades, pavements that are
seasonally inundated where the timing of opening these roads to heavy traffic
can be more accurately determined and innovative pavement structures that
are less sensitive to inundation tested on purpose-built tracks and on real
roads.
The structure of the regional research node would depend on the stakeholders. The
typical stakeholder groups involved would be:
• The QDTMR, who would determine their regional priorities in terms of
pavement types to be tested and monitored and who would use the research
capacity to accelerate the training of young engineers in pavement
construction, testing and performance, developing a skills base for the future.
• ARRB, who would provide guidance on standards for establishment of the
research capability and its operation, input to experiment design, standard
data collection and storage requirements, and expert advice, essentially
maximising the value of the test to QDTMR and in the national interest. ARRB
would also manage the collection and storage of all data and could play an
active role in managing and undertaking the research programs.
• Local universities, who could use the regional research node as an opportunity
to provide undergraduate and postgraduate students with hands-on
experience of road monitoring programs and APT programs. The regional
node could also form an input to joint Australian Research Council grant
research programs and the like by the university together with ARRB.
• Industry partners or peak bodies who could use the opportunities offered by
the research for developing staff, or commission/contribute to testing and/or
monitoring of specific materials or construction innovations. These could then
be implemented as part of major infrastructure works such as the Federal
Government nation building program.
Close collaboration between the various groups will be essential to the success of a
regional research node within the national initiative.
Costs associated with establishing and operating a national pavement asset research
centre over a 10 year period have been estimated at around $30 million per regional

research node. This includes equipment procurement, maintenance and operational

costs, staff salaries and the costs associated with building the test pavements.
It is anticipated that NPARC would deliver benefits with an estimated value of
$1 billion over 10 years, giving a benefit-cost ratio of 16:1 if two regional research
nodes were established (one in Queensland and one in Western Australia). These
benefits would arise from direct savings in infrastructure costs and returns from
transport industry productivity gains as follows:
• A direct benefit of excess of $250 million, being direct savings in infrastructure
costs, and restricting the analysis period to just 10 years.
• Productivity gains of $800 million over a 10 year period. Note that in 2005/06,
direct road freight activity was valued at $14.6 billion (excluding the value of
business transporting freight on their own account). In current economic
terms, this would be the equivalent of around $16 billion. If the same transport
task were to be achieved at a 5% saving through efficiency resulting from the
research, the value of that saving would be in the order of $800 million per
annum, or $8 billion over 10 years. Even if only 10% of that benefit was to be
returned to the public coffers through road access pricing, this would still result
in a benefit of $800 million over a 10 year period.
A significant cost component of an APT program is for maintaining, updating and
operating a relational database of all data produced by the program. Harvey (Harvey,
20088) argues that these costs must be incurred to capture the full benefits of APT.
These data include:
• Construction quality data;
• Materials testing data from before, during and after APT testing;
• Load, climate and response instruments and other measurements during the
APT loading;
• Related pavement testing data such as Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD)
deflections before, during and after APT testing;
• Forensic data collected from cores, trenches and other destructive
measurements after APT testing; and
• Laboratory testing results on associated field-mix, field-compacted, field-mix,
laboratory-compacted and laboratory-mixed, laboratory-compacted specimen
testing.
The indirect benefits of implementing APT will be instrumental in reversing the
current decline of pavement engineering and asset management skills in Queensland
and the rest of Australia. NPARC will also encourage undergraduates to choose
pavement engineering as their specialisation. The attraction of hands-on experience
at undergraduate level of working with APT devices and test sections and associated
laboratory testing, data analysis, modelling and simulation, and being involved in the
long term monitoring of pavement performance at ‘real’ sites on a ‘real’ network will
add attraction to what is not currently a popular specialisation choice.

COOPERATION IN ACCELERATED PAVEMENT TESTING AND ITS BENEFITS

A collaborative approach to APT holds many advantages, one reason being the vast
number of possible test parameters that can be tested for different structural
configurations (NCHRP Synthesis 3251). Sharing experiences of operating APT
facilities, the surveillance techniques and apparatus, as well as APT results from test
sections, all benefit participants. Several such bodies have been established to
promote collaboration. These are listed below.
• The Transportation Research Board has Committee AFD40—Full Scale and
Accelerated Pavement Testing (TRB17) that has been established to
coordinate APT/FS testing in the USA and internationally, and includes
committee members from Australia, South Africa and a number of European
countries. The committee is concerned with the full-scale testing of traditional
and innovative pavement systems that reflect various construction conditions
and maintenance practices. Testing can be performed using conventional or
accelerated methods utilising mobile or fixed equipment under in situ or
controlled conditions. Another area of interest includes test results in order to
assess long-term pavement-system performance for improved modelling,
design, construction and management of pavement systems, thereby
optimising their life-cycle costs.
• The HVS International Alliance (HVSIA18) comprises owners of HVS machines
in Florida DoT, California DoT, VTT of Sweden, Gautrans and CSIR of South
Africa, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Mississippi
(Waterways Experiment Station) and New Hampshire (the Cold Regions
Research and Engineering Laboratory), Cha’an University in China, and the
Central Regions Road Institute in India. The Alliance was established to
promote interaction between users and to coordinate testing and the
dissemination of test results. The objectives of the Alliance are as follows:
o Promote and share knowledge related to HVS technology;
o Establish a structure for ongoing interactions on topics related to
pavement engineering with a specific focus on the HVS technology;
o Establish mechanisms for funding, monitoring and completing studies of
common issues through the optimum participation of members;
o Provide expertise so that studies of interest can be expeditiously
defined, managed and results reviewed; and
o Optimise the use of resources through the coordination of HVS related
research.
• The Consortium of Accelerated Pavement Testing (CAPT19) was established
in the USA by the FHWA and a group of state departments of transportation
with the objective of developing technical deliverables unique to APT facilities
and to accelerate technology transfer among APT owners and is open to all
APT facilities in the USA. The scope of work is as follows:

o Organize and structure a program that identifies and produces key

technical deliverables;
o Provide a means to define, support and share APT technology of mutual
interest; and
o Develop a longer-range plan of collaboration (strategic plan), including
potential cooperation with the international community;
o Provide for special studies, investigations, research and training.
• The Cooperation for Science and Technology Pavement Research with
Accelerated Loading Facilities Program (COST 347) committee (COST20) was
established under the European Union for “Improvements in Pavement
Research with Accelerated Load Testing”. Sixteen European countries
participate. The main objective is to develop a European code of good practice
to optimise the use of Accelerated Load Testing facilities and improve the
application of results from these facilities.
• A user group has also recently been established for Mobile Load Simulator10
owners.
A collaborative approach to APT provides opportunities to mine APT results to obtain
additional benefits. Combining the results from different types of facilities together
with long-term performance data also offers opportunities for increasing the benefits
from APT experiments.
The establishment of an Australian national pavement asset research centre would
facilitate the cooperation of the regional research nodes in order to leverage research
in different jurisdictions. ARRB would play a key overview and coordination role in
this endeavour together with the established Austroads collaboration processes. The
Austroads Pavement Structures Reference Group, the Austroads Pavement
Technology Review Panel and the Assets Task Force would be key stakeholders.
Further, ARRB’s links to and collaboration with international APT research
organisations would ensure much broader leverage of research findings.
SOME POINTERS FOR THE WAY AHEAD
The first step to implementing any new research and development initiative should be
a strategic review session, with suitable expert input and facilitation, to develop a
Transport and Main Roads Technology Strategy. This strategy review would
incorporate and respond to the drivers for improved performance and innovation.
An implementation plan may look something like the business case prepared by
ARRB for a national pavement asset research centre. The Departmental involvement
might be to:
• Establish, together with ARRB, an integrated research program incorporating
APT, laboratory testing, long term pavement performance monitoring, and
pavement management with as-built data and surveillance;
• Expand the Departmental road research facilities to include a suitable
accelerated loading facility;

• Carry the management and system responsibility for the regional research
node;
• Partner with ARRB, who will anchor the technical underpinning, assist with
establishment and operation of the research facilities, ensure a standardised
approach with a national perspective and tie in national and international
research protocols and data capture processes;
• Partner with Queensland universities to provide the local academic connection
and facilitate involvement of undergraduate and postgraduate students with
the aim of capability development; and
• Include internationally recognised international experts in an advisory capacity
in order to minimise stumbling blocks during the early stages of establishing
APT in Queensland.
CONCLUSIONS
The challenges of sustainability have been highlighted by the many drivers for
improved performance and better knowledge of the capacity of the road asset, and
the need to find solutions that will address these drivers. Research and innovation is
essential for providing solutions that will create sustainable road assets.
The first step in the process is to develop a Technology Strategy. Two questions that
need to be asked in the formulation of such a strategy are:
• “Will current best practice in Queensland be up to the mark for maintaining our
road assets sustainably—economically, safely, environmentally friendly—that
will satisfy the increasing expectations of transport operators and the motoring
public?”, and
• “Can we rely on other providers for solutions to problems unique to
Queensland?”
Without actively promoting research, development and innovation within the
framework of a Technology Strategy, sustainable outcomes will remain a vision with
no substance.
Pavement researchers should be thinking strategically in terms of the problems they
choose to invest in to be sure that they are solving future pavement problems.
Accelerated Pavement Testing has been part of the development of new pavement
technology for more than 60 years. It offers unique capabilities to rapidly move
technology from computers and laboratory analysis to full-scale use at attractive
benefit-cost ratios. APT offers additional benefits from its ability to attract and focus
attention on pavement problems and their solutions. There are also opportunities to
mine APT results to obtain additional benefits. Combining the results from different
types of facilities together with long-term performance data offers opportunities for
increasing the benefits from APT experiments.
With its proven track record in Australia and in many other parts the world,
Accelerated Pavement Testing should be part of a holistic approach to achieving
asset sustainability in Queensland.

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17
Transportation Research Board Committee ADF40 at
http://www3.uta.edu/faculty/sroman/AFD40/
18
Heavy Vehicle Simulator International Alliance at
http://www.hvsia.co.za/Home/tabid/126/Default.aspx
19
Consortium of Accelerated Pavement Testing at
http://www3.uta.edu/faculty/sroman/AFD40/
20
Cooperation for Science and Technology Pavement Research with Accelerated
Loading Facilities Program at http://cordis.europa.eu/cost-transport/src/cost-347.htm

INNOVATION AND APT Henderson Yeo

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INNOVATION AND APT Henderson Yeo

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Innovation and accelerated pavement testing: a means to achieve asset sustainability Mervyn Henderson

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 1

discussed. International cooperation between transportation agencies using APT

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 2

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 3

accelerated destruction. Freight operators want to seize the opportunity of more

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 4

2. At what level should the organisation invest in technology development?

Figure 1: Capabilities-based organizational learning framework of technology

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 5

APT is to provide a more cost-efficient answer to road infrastructure engineering

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 6

• It can rapidly evaluate pavement performance to destruction—months instead

PULSE LOADING DEVICES

Figure 2: Classification of APT facilities (after Mateos, 20084)

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 7

Figure 3: APT facilities currently operating in the world (Balay, 20087)

The Australian Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF) is an example of a mobile device

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 8

Photograph 1: The Australian Accelerated Loading Facility operating indoors at

Photograph 2: The Illinois ATLaS

Photograph 3: The Mobile Load Simulator 10

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 9

Photograph 4: The Heavy Vehicle Simulator

Photograph 5: The Canterbury Accelerated Pavement Testing Indoor Facility

Photograph 6: MnRoad test road, Minnesota

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 10

Photograph 7: LCPC test track, France

THE USE OF APT TO ADDRESS QUEENSLAND’S NEEDS

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 11

Table 2: ALF specification

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Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 12

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A program of APT research is developed and managed through the pavement

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 14

focus on sustainable maintenance and rehabilitation strategies that are appropriate

Figure 4: Strategic goals and how the APT/HVS technology development

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 15

• Concrete pavements; and

Summary of Cold In Place Recycling (CIPR) projects

Research Areas of research Projects Priority

Treatment of Structural design Determination of shear strength and High

Durability testing Investigation of the effects of wet/dry High

Construction quality Development of control testing High

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 16

THE BENEFITS OF APT PROGRAMS

Figure 5: Interrelationship between pavement engineering facets that

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 17

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 18

o A constant and stable training ground for specialisation in technologies

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 19

Long term pavement performance (LTPP) monitoring, a feature of all ALF

It is interesting that similar challenges apply today in South Australia and

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 20

benefits of different maintenance treatments. In combination with data from

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 21

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 22

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 23

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 24

research node. This includes equipment procurement, maintenance and operational

Main Roads Engineering Technology Forum – August 2008 25

1RRI 1RRI 1RRI/RDG&\FOHV

1RRI 1RRI 1RRI/RDG&\FOHV