Superpave Binder Specifications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Superpave Binder Specifications - Essay Example The distresses include fatigue, thermal cracking, and rutting. Tests related to performance were essentially applied to address the three distresses. The distresses are attributed to climate changes. Another specification is grade selection. The grade selection specification entails the determination of temperature extremes for the performance of the pavement. Typically, pavement performs under a certain range of temperatures (Texas Department of Transportation). The grade can be established by indicating the low or high temperatures for pavement performance. Distress and tests form another specification in which the binder and pavement life become predictable when the pavement lasts long enough. Testing for compliance is important to establish the PG binder grade. This is done through classification and verification for unknown and known PG grade respectively (Texas Department of Transportation). The proper binder grade for Bowling Green, Kentucky area is selected based on the Super pave aggregate requirements. The pavements have to satisfy the compaction requirements, which are unusual. The binder grade needs to have at least 92 percent of solid density (The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials). This would be due to the unusual compaction requirements that would be applied (The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials). Segregation may be used to describe various phenomena, but it is typically short of homogeneity in the constituents of hot mix asphalt for the in-place mat. It has such a magnitude to an extent that there is an expectation of pavement distresses that are highly accelerated. The segregation of HMA pavements is a major problem because it results in poor performances in many pavements (Cross and Brown, 1).