Development of a Hi-Soft Asphalt Pavement for Cold Regions

Abstract

Through structural evaluation and performance prediction, a new type of asphalt pavement was developed, based on 3 years of laboratory and in-situ tests. It is named a Hi-soft Asphalt Pavement, HIHSA in short due to its characteristics of being more flexible, and more adaptable to deformation and bearing capacity defects of the roads, etc. As the recent research findings from a research project financed by the Ministry of Communications, P.R. CHINA, HIHSA is more suitable for low volume roads in cold regions. During the development, the researchers highlights the use of local materials such as the naturally crushed stone accumulated in mountain slope, the river gravels and others, to the largest extent for wearing course, base-course and subgrade. And due to no need to heat at high temperatures for both aggregates and binders comparing with hot–mix asphalt, less low temperature cracking, easy recycling and maintenance, HIHSA is also very cost-effective. 11 different kinds of pavement materials and structures were chosen for the test road, which is located in the northern-most China’s Daxing-anling Region. According to in-situ observations and experiments on bearing capacity, frost heave, cracks and other defects, and others, in connection with lab tests and structural calculation and analysis, Specifications for HIHSA Pavements’ Design, Construction and Quality Control were worked out for further wide application in other northern and western provinces and areas.