Pavement Overlay

a pavement rehabilitation process for severely deteriorated pavement that overlays bituminous

asphalt concrete on top of existing pavement to strengthen its overall structure, improve ride and
extend service life. Pavement – the surface layer of a structural section of road that carries traffic.

Important Considerations in Overlay Design:

 Pre-overlay repair
 Reflection crack control
 Traffic loading
 Sub-surface drainage
 Rutting in AC pavements
 Milling AC surface
 Recycling the existing pavement
 Structural versus functional overlays
 Overlay material
 Shoulders
 Existing PCC slab durability
 PCC overlay joints
 PCC overlay bonding/separation layers
 Overall design reliability level and overall standard deviation
 Pavement widening
 Potential errors and possible adjustments to thickness design procedures

Approaches in the Design of Overlay Project

1. Uniform Section Approach

The full length of the project is divided in to a number of different sections so that each section
has relatively uniform conditions. Each uniform section is considered separately and design for
each section is carried out independently.

2. Point-by-point Approach
Overlay thickness is determined for specific points at similar intervals within the uniform section
and the thickness is calculated at each point using design inputs at each point.

Recommended Overlay Solution to Functional Problems

Surface Friction and Hydroplaning

During wet weather, certain parts of the pavement surface may lose friction grip due to polishing of the
surface at the point of touch with the wheel causing the wheel to slip unexpectedly.

In some cases, a thin correctional overlay reinstating surface texture and that is adequate for the traffic
level, may be used to remedy these problems.

Surface Roughness
 Surface roughness on AC surfaces may be created due to long wavelength surface distortions,
deteriorated transverse cracks, longitudinal cracks or potholes. A conventional overlay will correct the
roughness temporarily until the cracks reflect through the overlay. For a longer-term solution, a full-
depth repair of deteriorated areas and a thicker AC overlay incorporating a reflection crack control
treatment may remedy this problem.

There are seven (7) steps in the overlay design procedure

Step 1: Analysis Unit Delineation

Step 2: Traffic Analysis

Step 3: Materials and Environmental Study

 Existing pavement layer properties

 Existing pavement subgrade (foundation) properties
 Design properties of overlay layers

Step 4: Effective Structural Capacity Analysis

 Visual Condition Factor Approach

 Normal Size of PCC Slab Fragments
 Remaining Life Approach

Step 5: Future Overlay Structural Capacity Analysis

The major objective of this step is simply to determine the total structural capacity of a new pavement
required to carry repetitions in the overlay period to a terminal serviceability.

Step 6: Remaining Life Factor Determination

Determining the remaining life factor, it is an adjustment factor applied to the effective capacity
parameter to reflect a more realistic assessment of the weighed effective capacity during the overlay
period.

Overlay Design Analysis for Rigid Overlay-Rigid Existing

Three potential types of rigid overlay over rigid existing are proposed: full bond, partial bond and
unbonded
Overlay Design Analysis for Flexible-Rigid Existing

The flexible base overlay has been used as an intermediate layer of a rehabilitated pavement structure,
placed directly on top of an existing highway surface.

Flexible overlays over existing rigid pavement are a significant and often used rehabilitation overlay
strategy. Problems associated with this method is the reflective cracking potential of the asphalt overlay
over the existing pavement.

Overlay Design Methodology for Pavement with Structural Deficiency

When the pavements are exposed to continuous traffic loads, over time, the structural capacity of them
decreases. One way of increasing the structural capacity of a pavement with structural deficiency is to
overlay the existing pavement with a suitable material or combination of materials.
Two Parameters

 Effective structural capacity of the existing pavement

 Final expected structural capacity after the overlay

Structural Capacity Based on Visual Survey and Materials Testing

This involves assessment of current condition based on distress and drainage surveys, and usually some
coring and testing of materials.

In this method the assessment is started with a visual survey that involves:

 Review of all information available

 Detailed site survey

Determination of Design Subgrade MR -Design CBR

The road section to constructed with a uniform pavement thickness is determined based on the results
of preliminary studies and the CBR test.

The following formula should be used to back-calculate the subgrade MR value from NDT data:

Asphalt Concrete (AC) Overlay of AC Pavement

Construction tasks involved in the placement of an AC overlay on an existing AC pavement are:

 Repairing deteriorated areas and making sub-surface drainage improvements if required.

 Correcting surface rutting by milling or placing a leveling course.
 Constructing widening if required.
 Applying a tack coat.
 Placing the AC overlay (including a reflective crack control treatment if needed

Pre-Overlay Repair

 Alligator cracking
 Linear cracking
  Rutting
 Surface irregularities

Thickness Design

The following equation is specified in the AASHTO Guide to calculate the required thickness to increase
structural capacity to carry future traffic

Design Procedure

 Step 1: Existing Pavement Design and Construction

 Step 2: Traffic Analysis
 Step 3: Condition Survey
 Step 4: Deflection Testing
 Step 5: Coring and Material Testing
 Step 6: Determination of Required Structural Number for Future Traffic
 Step 7: Determination of Effective Structural Number of the Existing Pavement

AC Overlay of Fractured PCC Slab Pavement

Huang (1993) discusses the design of various types of overlays. A major problem in the design of AC
overlays on PCC pavements is reflection cracking, defined as the fractures in an overlay or surface that
reflect the crack or joint pattern in the underlying layer

Several methods can be used to minimize or control reflection cracking in AC pavements over PCC
pavements.

 Design a thicker AC overlay (if the thickness of overlay to alleviate reflection cracking is less than
230 mm)
 Crack and seat the existing PCC slab into smaller sections
 Use a crack relief layer with drainage system
 Saw and seal joints in an AC overlay
 Use a stress absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI) with an overlay (consult manufacturer)
 Incorporate a geotextile fabric membrane interlayer with an overlay (consult manufacturer)