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State of Wisconsin/Department of Transportation

RESEARCH PROGRESS REPORT FOR THE QUARTER ENDING: March 31, 2005

Program: SPR-0010(36) FFY99 Part: II Research and Development

Project Title: Test Method to Determine Aggregate/Asphalt Project ID: 0092-05-12


Adhesion Properties as an Indication of Potential Susceptibility to
Moisture Damage
Administrative Contact: Nina McLawhorn Sponsor: WHRP
WisDOT Technical Contact: Judie Ryan Approved Starting Date: Nov 1, 2004
Approved by COR/Steering Committee: $54,810 Approved Ending Date: Dec 31, 2005
Project Investigator (agency & contact): Hussain Bahia: UW-Madison

Percent Complete:
17.3%

Project Description:
Since the early 1990’s the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has used ASTM
D-4867 to indicate specific mixture susceptibility to moisture damage. This testing is required for all mix
designs and results of that testing, during the laboratory mix design phase, determines the need for, and use
of an approved anti-strip additive.
Two previous WisDOT research projects (WisDOT 95-04: Relationship Between Laboratory and
Field TSR Results, and SPR-0010(36) WHRP # 0092-01-03: HMA Moisture Damage as it Relates to
Pavement Performance) have been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the test method being used
and its ability to predict either poor performing mixtures or poor performing aggregates and how either
might be related to actual field performance. Along with those investigations was a directive to try and
quantify the severity of moisture damage, as a general distress category, to Wisconsin pavements.
Conclusions from the previous WisDOT research studies suggest no real predictive value for the
system currently in place, so while WisDOT may be gaining some benefit for use of anti-strip additives, the
department may also be paying for additional additive use and not seeing any gained performance value.
Historical WisDOT pavement performance measurements have also indicated that stripping and raveling
are not a primary cause for early pavement distress seen in Wisconsin, but no hard evidence suggests a
reason why, other than the system currently in place helping to make it so.
Additional costs to “all” projects (mix designs) in trying to predict the potential moisture
susceptibility within the current prescribed system (requirement of ASTM D-4867) does not appear to be a
cost efficient method or expenditure at this time so it is felt that a continuing investigation is warranted.
This investigation is needed to make more effective use of the ASTM D-4867 by screening
aggregates more rapidly, identifying better protocols for preparing samples for this standard, and better
methods of interpretation of results. Recently a few ideas have been proposed in the literature for testing
adhesion of asphalt to aggregates and for using advanced methods for testing and analysis of the mixtures
strength and fracture properties before and after conditioning. These ideas could provide a solution for
improving the current practice.

Progress This Quarter:


(Includes project committee mtgs, work plan status, contract status, significant progress, etc.)

The work progress in this quarter was separated into two parts as follows:
1. Testing for the indirect tensile strength test at the modified conditions
For the samples tested during the previous quarter,, the fracture energy of conditioned specimens was
sometimes higher than unconditioned specimen, which is not expected. This happened while testing at a
temperature of 20C. This could be related to using too high of a testing temperature or due to build up of pore
pressure. In Figure 1, it was observed that the majority of cracking areas are in the compressive failure zone
underneath the loading strips. Thus, a lower testing temperature of 10 C was selected. At 10C, the failure due to
compression is minimized as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 1 Failure of IDT specimen at 20C Figure 2 Failure of IDT specimen at 10C

The following table shows the results of testing the limestone samples at the modified temperature. As shown the
effect of the conditioning is apparent in the tensile strength and in the horizontal strain. It is also noticed that the
repeatability of the fracture energy is not acceptable, which will be evaluated in the next quarter. The overall data
indicates that we have a workable test and the test setup is ready for mixtures evaluations.

Table 1 IDT Testing Results at 10C


Tensile
Strength Horizontal Fracture
Mix Specimen (kPa) Ave Strain Ave Energy Ave
Limestone Uncon-1 2496 2439.5 0.0079 0.00765 17020 15989.5
Uncon-2 2383 0.0074 14959

Con-1 2039 2113.3 0.005 0.007867 8404 14142.3


Con-2 2052 0.0084 14647
Con-3 2249 0.0102 19376

2. Striping test
In addition to the IDT test, the stripping test for the granite and the limestone mixes was conducted to
correlate to the IDT testing results. The limestone mixes were only tested without using Anti-stripping agents. As
for the granite, they were tested at both states (with Anti- stripping agent and without). The following table (Table
2) shows the average percent stripping for the mixes tested. It shows that the limestone mixes are more sensitive to
stripping than the granite. Furthermore, the addition of the Anti-stripping agent improves the mixture resistance to
stripping significantly. It is shown that the aggregates are both resistant to the stripping and have very similar
results. It should be mentioned that the average percent stripping is for 4 specimens conducted independently.
There is an indication that the test protocol can identify the mixture with anti-stripping additives but the differences
are very small and could be claimed insignificant. The test procedure will be re-evaluated using different sets of
aggregates and binders. It is important to include a mixture that requires anti-stripping additives so that we test the
value of the test.
Table 2 Average Percent Stripping
Average Percent
Mix
Stripping
Limestone 2.50%
Granite (Without Antistripping) 2.20%

Granite (With Antistripping) 0.40%

Based on the results collected this quarter, the experimental design for this study was modified in terms of the
sequence of testing. It was decided to perform the stripping test on several mixtures to be able to identify a wider
range of stripping results that can be evaluated with using the IDT. This means that the experimental plan should
include poor, moderate, and excellent samples to be tested. More aggregates will be considered in the project to
allow this wider range of stripping behavior.

Work Next Quarter:


• Collect more samples to be tested (gravel and granite)
• Complete preliminary testing of the IDT test and the stripping test.
• Obtain plant produced-loose mix, and produce the gyratory compacted specimens for laboratory testing.
• The meeting among the research team members will be held regularly.
Gantt Chart:

STARTING COMPLETION
PROJECT I.D.0092-05-12 DATE DATE MONTH Report#
PROJECT # WISDOT 1-Nov-04 31-Dec-05 7-April 2

CONSULTANT FIRM NAME


PERCENT OF
UW - MADISON

NAME OF STUDY TASK PROJECT


Test Method to Determine Aggregate/Asphalt Adhesion Properties as an Indication of Potential Susceptibilit PROJECT
COMPLETE COMPLETE
Moisture Damage

YEAR 2001 2002


TASK *
MONTH Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 5
Task 1:

Literature review 10 80 8

Task 2:

Design laboratory experiment to evaluate adhesion characteristics 10 60 6

Task 3:

Generate laboratory test data and analysis report 66 5 3.3

Task 4:

Prepare and submit final report 10 0 0

Final Report review and revisions 2 0 0

Final Report Submittal 2 0 0

Scheduled
Completed 100 17.3

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