ACCELERATED PERFORMANCE TESTING OF CANADIAN ASPHALT MIXES USING THREE DIFFERENT WHEEL RUT TESTERS

Asphalt pavement rutting is one of the most common and destructive pavement distresses observed on Canadian roads, particularly in the urban environment at intersections. A reliable, accelerated laboratory performance test to evaluate rutting resistance of asphalt mixes is considered necessary. There are three wheel rut testers that are commonly used for asphalt testing: Asphalt Pavement Analyzer; Hamburg Wheel Rut Tester; and the French Laboratory Rutting Tester. All three wheel testers are in use in Canada. Hot-mix asphalt rut resistance testing using the French Laboratory Rutting Tester is required by the Quebec Ministre des Transports on high volume roads. Other provinces currently do not routinely require rutting resistance testing, even for roads with very heavy traffic loading. An accelerated performance testing study is being carried out using all three rut wheel testers and Canadian asphalt mixes. The objective of this study is to compare the performance of the asphalt mixes in the field with their ranking in three different rut wheel testers. Based on the results, comments will be forwarded on the effectiveness of the test equipment in predicting asphalt concrete rutting. This paper describes the equipment, procedures, criteria and a potential use of the rut testers. However, as the study has not been completed yet, it is too early to provide final conclusions.