Development of the Asphalt Multi-Integrated Roller Field and Experimental Studies

Abstract

Asphalt pavements have been compacted using steel drum rollers for a century. However, the problems that are observed today on these pavements are universal with no solution in sight. Intensive research work has been invested to identify the mechanisms that cause these problems. A recent development was the introduction of SuperPave mix design, GP asphalt cements, and the use of reinforcing elements ranging from polymer to steel bars. Yet it seems that none of these solutions have succeeded in eliminating any of the old problems. The pavements suffer from serious distresses regardless of the geographic location of the pavements and its design, materials, traffic loads, and climate condition. This paper presents a new approach to deal with the problems facing the asphalt pavements. While the research efforts to date concentrated on materials-related solutions, this paper identifies conventional compaction equipment as the cause of many problems observed on the pavements. The paper provides the development of the new Asphalt Multi-Integrated Roller, AMIR, and discusses new developments leading to a number of commercial field trials on several Ontario highways. The paper concludes that current compactors must be replaced with soft flat plates in order to achieve the required specifications for long term performance.