TRB WORKSHOP 153

SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHWAY

TECHNOLOGY AND PRACTICE

Accelerated Pavement Testing

and Modelling in South Africa

Mr Dennis Rossmann
Materials and pavement specialist
South African National Roads Agency Ltd SANRAL
 Presentation Format
• Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS)

• Mobile Load Simulator (MMLS 3 and MLS)

• Current focus areas

• Conclusions
 Acknowledgements

• Elzbieta Sadzik
• Kim Jenkins
• Fred Hugo
• Benoit Verhaege
• Hechter Thyse
• Morris de Beer
• Phil Paige-Green
 History of HVS program in SA

MKI MKII MKIII MKIV

Static linear tracking Mobile pavement tester Dual truck and Ltd dynamic
loading device aircraft wheel loading simulation
Single wheel loading loads
Fixed facility 9 – 10 km/hr
Uni/bi directional
loading (32 000 reps/day)

5-6 km/hr (18 000

rep/day)
 History of HVS program in SA

• During 1970’s and 1980’s fleet of 4 HVS’s

operational in SA

• To date over 400 projects completed

• Currently 2 HVS’s operational

• APT program originally focused on heavy duty

applications

• Since mid 1990’s focus broadened to include:

• Low volume roads
• Labour intensive construction quality
Example of HVS for Low Volume
Applications: Structural Capacity

Grit seal

160 mm G6 Natural gravel

base
20 mm sand

90 mm “subbase”

100 mm red sand

In situ sand subgrade

40 kN surface deflection

RSD DEFLECTION AT 40kN ON SECTIONS 419A5 AND 420A5

600
419A5 traffic
at 40kN 420 A5 water added
500
Peak RSD Deflection (micron)

419A5 traffic at 80kN

400

300

200
420A5 traffic at 40kN
420A5 traffic
at 80kN
100

0
0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1000000 1200000
Repetitions

419A5 420A5
Straightedge rut

Straightedge rut for sections 419A5 and 420A5

5.0

4.5
420A5 traffic at 40kN 420A5 traffic
4.0 at 80kN

3.5 420 A5 water added

419A5 traffic
3.0 at 40kN
Rut (mm)

419A5 traffic at 80kN

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1000000 1200000
Repetitions

419A5 420A5
 OUTCOME

• Plastic strain bearing capacity estimate

significantly higher for HVS testing than that
determined from laboratory testing:
Linear-elastic, multi-layer solution problem

• The structural bearing capacity of this typical

pavement structure is adequate for
application as a LVR, and similar structures
may thus be used with confidence in other
locations
HVS for heavy duty applications

• Investigate the influence of the environment

and accelerated loading on joint deterioration
on
• Plain aggregate interlock joints
• Doweled joints
• On 2 types of concrete aggregate

• Determine the remaining life of PCC inlay

sections on a heavy truck traffic route
HVS for heavy duty applications
Instrumentation
Instrumentation measures 4 main
effects:
• Slab movements due to environmental
changes (mainly temperature)
• Elastic movements (deflections) due to HVS
loading
• Relative movement across joints
(Load Transfer Efficiency)
• Slab deformation (joint faulting)
 Relationship between deflections and
temperature
Zones of high rel movement

300 70.0

60.0
DEFLECTIONS (microns) 40kN @620kPa

250

50.0

200
40.0

Temperature (°C)
150 30.0

20.0
100

10.0

50
0.0

0 -10.0
50000 100000 150000 200000 250000

REPETITIONS
JDMD 1 AndJDMD
low2 surface
JDMD 4 temperatures
JDMD 5 dT1 dT4 Surface temp
 Effects of Pumping
900 25.0
Loss in slab support due to pumping causes increased
800 deflections
20.0
DEFLECTIONS (m icrons)

700

600 15.0

500
10.0
400

300 5.0

200
0.0
100

0 -5.0
150000 200000 250000 300000 350000 400000 450000 500000
Mdd421-02 traffic 04H00 and
14h00.xls Rainfall =REPETITIONS
94mm during the month

3 Nov JDMD 4 JDMD 5 dT(sun)

 Deflection comparison: Plain
JDMD DEFLECTIONS AT 40kN ON SECTION 421A5 (Data at 04H00 & 14H00)
Data up to the 23/12/2003

900
800
DEFLECTIONS (m icrons)

700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
0 100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000
M dd421-02 traffic 04H 00 and 14h00.xls
REPETITIONS
JDMD 1 JDMD 2 JDMD 3 JDMD 4 JDMD 5
 Deflection comparison: Doweled
JDMD Traffic side DEFLECTION AT 40kN ON SECTION 422A5
UPDATED to 14H00 30 March 2004
900

800
DEFLECTIONS (microns) 40kN

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0
0 100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000 700000
REPETITIONS
JDMD 1 TS JDMD 2 TS JDMD 3 TS
JDMD 4 TS JDMD 5 TS Horizontal TS (JD7)
JDMD Traffic side section 422A5 Traffic PEAKS.xls
 Project Outcomes

• Study illustrated the influence which the

environment has on pavement performance
evaluation parameters
• Temperature changes have a profound influence on
measured: Deflections / LTE / Permanent deformations

• Doweled pavement joints outperform plain

aggregate interlock joints in terms of
• restricting relative movements
• edge deflections
• general slab deterioration such as joint faulting
Assessment of residual life
 Section 424A5 PietermaritzburgN3-3 km 16.5 (PCC)

28-05-2004 to 01-06-2004

MDD 4
MDD 3 & 2

TC 2
8 7 6 5

Crack 4 Crack 3 Crack 2

 Deflections 60 & 80kN
900 25
Traffic- and test load =
Traffic- and test load =
60kN 80kN
800

Difference Between top and bottom Temperature

20

700
15
Deflection (microns)

600
10
500

(°C)
400 5

300
0

200
-5
100

0 -10

0 100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000

Repetitions
JDMD 1 JDMD 2 JDMD 3 JDMD 4 JDMD 5 JDMD 6 JDMD 7
JDMD 8 JDMD 9 JDMD 10 Horizontal dT 1
Final condition
 Outcomes: Inlay testing

• Pavement was subjected to 6.5mil in-service ESAL’s.

Using the 4.2 power law pavement was subjected to
another 5.9 mil ESAL’s = total of 12.4 mil
• Pavement was not considered failed after testing has
stopped even with the significant amount of
transverse cracking

• Comparing this to the Hilton testing benefits of CRCP

are clearly visible

• Rehabilitation could be postponed for 3 years +!!!!

Model Mobile Load Simulator
(MMLS 3)
 Applications of the MMLS3:

• Field testing on in-service pavements

• Lab testing on slabs/laboratory

compacted pills/briquettes

• Lab testing on cores

Establishing MMLS 3 on site in
Mocambique
MMLS3 Device Details
Comparison between some MMLS3 Results on different paved mixes

Rutting mm
4mm
4

3.5

2.5
Rutting (mm)

NCAT S9
Frankfort
2
Winburg
Winburg (km54)
1.5 Winburg slow
Power (NCAT S9)
1 Power (Frankfort)
Power (Winburg)
Power (Winburg (km54))
0.5
Power (Winburg slow)

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Axles (x1000)
Axles x1000 1m
SUBBASE AND BASE
CONSTRUCTION IN LAB.
HMA Compaction
Seal Construction
Graphical depictions of distress
MMLS 3
testing on cores
 MMLS 3
Testing of cores

Comparison of specimens
with & without adhesion
agent after completion of
trafficking

Simulation of critical field conditions (temp/moisture)

Field ruts at busy city intersection
versus rutting measured under MMLS

25
Field Ruts (mm)

20
15
10
5
0
0 5 10 15
MMLS Ruts (mm)
MLS10 on test site in Mozambique
MLS: Full-scale wet trafficking
Cracks after HMA debonding from
CTB base
Place of APT
* Hugo et al, 1991 – TRR 1293

Model APT
 APT Structure in South Africa

Steering Committee
Scope
Needs Prioritisation

Technical
management

Technical
Proposals Reports Guidelines
panel
Review Pool
 Benefit cost ratio of APT
Gautrans & SANRAL Combined
7.0

6.0 6.1
Benefit Cost Ratio

5.0 5.1

4.0 4.2
3.5
3.0 2.9
2.4
2.0

1.0

0.0
4% 8% 12%
Discount Rate
Current and Future APT Focus
areas
Cold bituminous recycling (ETB and foam)
Current and Future APT Focus
areas
Vehicle-pavement interaction – SIM TM
Current and Future APT Focus
areas
AC mix design (HMA) – Permanent deformation
Current and Future APT Focus
areas
• Input into an improved M-E pavement design
methodology i.e imposed stresses and field
variables such as:
• Temperature in layers
• Degree of densification
• Degree of saturation
• Inherent variables in material properties
 Conclusions

• HVS & APT has had a major impact in the

categorisation of local materials and
pavement system response
• HVS owners:
• South Africa
• USA
• Sweden/Finland
• Possibly Sub continent & Far East?
• HVS International Alliance
MMLS has become a valuable
associated APT tool which is
expanding globally
 South African technology and
expertise has been, and will hopefully
remain, a significant contributor to
APT internationally.

THANK YOU
 There is a choice
Go alone Work together