National Asphalt Roadmap

Committmenttotothe
A Commitment theFuture
Future
 National
Asphalt Roadmap
A Committment to the Future

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Asphalt Pavement
Research and Technology

A Special Report by

American
Association
of State Highway
and Transportation
Federal Highway Administration Officials

National Asphalt Pavement Association Asphalt Institute

National Stone, Sand, & Gravel Association

NAPA Special Report 194

 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194
 Acknowledgements

Many people have contributed greatly to making the National Asphalt Roadmap a
reality. The Committee on Asphalt Research and Technology of the National Asphalt
Pavement Association has spent many hours in deliberation on the outline of research
projects and the review of this report. Special thanks go to the NAR Working Group
members below.

Working Group Members

Michael Anderson John DAngelo

Asphalt Institute Federal Highway Administration
2696 Research Park Drive 400 Seventh Street, SW, HIPT-20
Lexington, KY 40511-8480 Washington, DC 20590
859 288-4960 x4984 202 366-0121
manderson@asphaltinstitute.org John.DAngelo@dot.gov

Dale Decker, P.E. Jon Epps, Ph.D.

Consultant Granite Construction
109 Royal Ridge Road Nevada Office, Box 2087
Bailey, CO 80421 Sparks, NV 89432
303 838-5520 775 352-1954
dale@dsdecker.com Jon.Epps@gcinc.com

Kent Hansen Thomas Harman

National Asphalt Pavement Association Federal Highway Administration
5100 Forbes Boulevard 10 South Howard Street, Suite 4000
Lanham, MD 20706 Baltimore, MD 21201
301 731-4748 410 962-0134
khansen@hotmix.org Tom.Harman@dot.gov

Robert Horan Ken Kobetsky

FHWA Support Staff AASHTO, Suite 249
8314 Colmar Drive 444 North Capital Street, NW
Mechanicsville, VA 23116 Washington, DC 20001
804 539-3036 202 624-5254
bhoran@salutinc.com kenk@aashto.org

Steve Lenker David Newcomb, Ph.D.

National Stone, Sand, & Gravel Assoc. National Asphalt Pavement Association
1605 King Street 5100 Forbes Boulevard
Alexandria, VA 22314 Lanham, MD 20706
703 526-1075 301 731-4748
slenker@nssga.org dnewcomb@hotmix.org

Katherine Petros
Federal Highway Administration
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
6300 Georgetown Pike, HRDI-12
McLean, VA 22101-2296
202 493-3154
Katherine.Petros@fhwa.dot.gov
NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 
 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194
 Contents

Vision and Purpose..................................................................... 7

Research Roadmap .................................................................... 9
Introduction . ............................................................................. 11
The Roadmap: Where to Start... .............................................. 15
Summary of Projects and Programs........................................ 19
1.0 Workforce Development............................................... 19
2.0 Long-Life Pavements and Pavement Performance....... 19
3.0 Improved Structural Design of Pavements................... 20
4.0 Materials Characterization and Mix Design.................. 21
5.0 Construction Practices and Quality
Management Systems.................................................. 22
6.0 Innovative Contracting Approaches.............................. 23
7.0 Surface Characteristics................................................. 23

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 

 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194
 Vision and Purpose

This document is the result of public-private partnership and presents the shared vision of the
asphalt community for research and technology in the field of asphalt pavement and material
technologies. In addition to the contributing agencies and organizations recognized on the
title sheet, many individuals and groups provided valuable input into the Roadmap. The roles
of those who contributed varied from members of the working group, who were involved in
the development of the report, to those who took time to provide review and comments. All
of these contributions are valuable and are greatly appreciated. All of the organizations and
individuals worked hard to make this report a valuable resource and are proud to call it our
commitment to the future. It is our hope this report will be used often and will be useful in
shaping the future of asphalt technology in the United States.

Vision
Develop improved asphalt pavement and material technologies to ensure the continued
delivery of safe and economical pavements to satisfy our Nations needs.

Purpose
This Roadmap is a comprehensive report which addresses a full range of important chal-
lenges in asphalt technology. It serves as a guiding document for research and technology
deployment organizations and for others involved in the identification and formulation of
programs and projects. Individuals and groups are encouraged to draw upon and share this
document.
It is our hope that the Roadmap will foster collaboration, partnership, and cooperation
within the asphalt community to ensure the continued delivery of safe and economical pave-
ments to satisfy our Nations needs.

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 

 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194
 Research Roadmap

The National Asphalt Roadmap is structured into programs and projects. Seven program areas
are chosen to frame the major components of asphalt technology: Workforce Development,
Long-Life Pavements and Pavement Performance, Improved Structural Design of Pavements,
Materials Characterization and Mix Design, Construction Practices and Quality Management
Systems, Innovative Contracting Approaches, and Surface Characteristics. Each program
area has an introduction to provide insight into the current status of products, equipment and
technology, and the major challenges in that area.
The National Asphalt Roadmap identifies a number of general research projects in each
of the program areas. There are a total of 69 projects identified. The selection of projects is
based on a consensus of experts from all segments of the asphalt community. The research
projects discussed in the Roadmap are broad in scope. The description of each of the projects
includes a brief problem statement that provides an introduction and background information
related to the research needed in that project area. It should be remembered that the intent of
the problem statement is to provide an overview of a research topic and not necessarily to
completely define it. It is likely that a number of actual research projects with more specific
scopes can be identified within each problem statement.
The tasks enumerated under each project are structured to result in clear and useful out-
comes. The projects are presented in a format that includes: title, objective, introduction,
background, expanded objective statement, and a work plan discussing the tasks that are
anticipated. The detailed research problem statement for each project is available at www.
hotmix.org.

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 

10 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194
Introduction

In the United States, transportation infrastructure Joint discussions about research needs and objec-
investments account for approximately 7 percent of tives between agencies, industry, and researchers will
the Gross Domestic Product. As a vital part of this focus the directions of innovations for asphalt pave-
investment, over 550 million tons of hot-mix asphalt ments. Research accomplished in collaboration is more
(HMA) are produced and placed each year. The total easily implemented and reaps far greater gains than
expenditure for asphalt pavement surfaces is in excess research done by an individual group. With agencies
of $25 billion annually and over 300,000 men and and industry working together to identify, develop, and
women are employed in the asphalt industry. implement research programs, the potential for success
Hot-mix asphalt is the predominant material in of the work is greatly improved.
pavement construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation
and maintenance projects. Of the 4 million miles of Background
pavements in the U.S., 2.3 million miles are paved In order to meet future technology needs, the asphalt
and approximately 94 percent of the paved miles are community must take advantage of research efforts and
surfaced with asphalt. Today, many highways have must address the needs of both the private and public
exceeded their design lives and will require recon- sectors. In 1994, the National Asphalt Pavement As-
struction, rehabilitation, and maintenance in order to sociation (NAPA) convened a forum to determine a
continue serving the needs of the U.S. economy and course of action in the research and technology arena
traveling public. that would permit private sector input to research needs.
The asphalt community, including government Some key observations were made at the forum:
agencies, industry, and academia, understands how n Since research activities in the U.S. were highly
important HMA is to the nations transportation system. decentralized, coordination of activities would be
Because of this enormous impact on the U.S. economy, beneficial.
there is a continuous effort to improve the quality and n Implementation of research results did not always
performance of asphalt pavements. These improve- occur in a systematic and timely fashion.
ments would include the production and placement of n Agencies were exploring ways to increase private
HMA materials and research to discover innovations sector participation in the research and technology
to enhance asphalt pavement-related products. (R&T) process.
The asphalt industry provides products and services n There was no structured mechanism for private
to public agencies and the private sector. The industry sector input into the process for developing R&T
is comprised primarily of hot-mix asphalt producers, needs.
paving contractors, asphalt binder suppliers, aggregate n Opportunities existed for the private sector to part-
suppliers, and equipment suppliers. It is committed ner in R&T issue identification and prioritization.
to conducting and sponsoring research to improve the n The majority of highway funding for R&T came
quality, economics, and versatility of asphalt mixtures, from either the individual States Departments of
and to provide input into the development of research Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
projects to ensure the industrys needs are addressed. (FHWA), or the American Association of State
Technology deployment is essential to achieve the Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO),
overall goal of focusing research and development on and The Transportation Research Board (TRB)
improving the quality, economy and performance of which manages AASHTOs National Cooperative
asphalt pavements. Highway Research Program (NCHRP) effort.

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 11

 Also in 1994, TRB Special Report 244 Highway This Roadmap presents the needs and state of the
Research identified barriers to highway research. The art of asphalt pavement technology.
barriers were:
n The highway industry was large. Improving Asphalt Pavement Technology
n The economic impact of the industry was great. Many changes have occurred in the technology
associated with asphalt pavements over the last 50
n Administration of the highway system was decen-
years. These changes have resulted in new products,
tralized.
analytical tools, and testing procedures. The asphalt
n Dispersed private companies provided essential pavement community is committed to continuously
products and services. improving the performance and economics of asphalt
n The highway industry provided few incentives for pavements. Thus, an on-going research and deploy-
innovation. ment program is vital to address unresolved technical
n The highway industry had a low-tech image. issues in the industry.
Significant progress in asphalt pavement technol-
n Highway spending was substantial.
ogy can only be achieved through a nationally co-
n The highway industry was now redefining its mis- ordinated effort to complete major projects. There
sion in the post-interstate construction era. is a need for large-scale efforts to solve the major
challenges relating to asphalt pavements. An inclu-
As a result of the NAPA forum efforts and under- sive, well coordinated national effort is necessary to
standing the TRB outcomes, NAPA established a major perpetuate asphalt pavement knowledge. Therefore, a
focus in the research and technology arena. A Com- focused program for asphalt research should be based
mittee for Asphalt Research and Technology (CART) on intellectual competition of substantial breadth and
was created to formulate private sector R&T concerns, depth and directed by a consensus of stakeholders. Po-
working closely with FHWA and AASHTO member tential projects that would have a lasting impact might
departments. The ultimate objective of the effort was to include: long-life pavements, safe pavements, rapid
ensure practical implementation of research to improve construction technologies, energy-efficient construc-
the quality and performance of asphalt pavements. tion technologies, accelerated pavement performance
CART has subsequently published two Special evaluation approaches, and implementation of proven
Reports (1996 and 1999) on asphalt industry technical technology.
needs. Collaboration between funding agencies and
CART representatives has provided an excellent op-
portunity for partnership discussions on technical needs
facing asphalt pavement performance. As expected,
many of the CART-identified research projects were
also on priority lists for state and federal research pro-
grams. Working collaboratively, significant progress
has been made in accomplishing identified research
projects.
In compiling information for this document, the writ-
ers have consulted with the National Center for Asphalt
Technology, the Asphalt Institute, the National Stone,
Sand, and Gravel Association, the FHWA Expert Task
Groups on Asphalt and reviewed research initiatives
from the International Center for Aggregate Research,
the European Asphalt Pavement Association, the South
African Bitumen Association, problem statements from
TRB committee Web sites, and the NCHRP Web site.

12 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194

 The asphalt research and technology focus must be
to develop and deliver improved systems to ensure
safe and economical pavements to satisfy our Nations
needs. Improvements and innovations that result from
these efforts will advance the Nations mobility and
economic security while minimizing user inconve-
nience and environmental impacts.
In order for the United States to remain economi-
cally competitive, its transportation infrastructure must
operate at a high level of efficiency to move goods and
services at the lowest possible cost. Major transporta-
tion issues of mobility, finance, safety, environmental
awareness, resource availability, cost containment
and workforce development need to be examined in a
strategic approach to improvement. Pavements play a
vital role in highway, air, and intermodal transfer op-
erations. With over 2.1 million miles of asphalt paved
roads in this country even relatively small but widely
applicable advances in asphalt technology could save
hundreds of millions of dollars
The over-arching goals of this Roadmap are the
improvement of safety, performance, service life, and
economics of asphalt pavements while safeguarding
our environment. To accomplish this end, this docu-
ment identifies improvements in asphalt technology
that can be realized through a nationally coordinated
course of action. Specific program areas and projects
are identified and presented in a manner that allows
interested parties an easy-to-use work plan to initiate
The Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) any given project. The projects are available for down-
and the subsequent 15 years of follow-up research loading on-line from www.hotmix.org.
brought focus to asphalt pavement research and tech- This Roadmap has been organized into the follow-
nology. The SHRP effort provided a new asphalt binder ing program areas, which encompass the important
specification and an improved approach to dense- components of asphalt technology:
graded mixture design. SHRPs success demonstrates
the effectiveness of a nationally coordinated program Program Number and Title
centered on discrete projects. 1.0 Workforce Development
The U.S. Congress established the second Strate-
2.0 Long-Life Pavements and Pavement
gic Highway Research Program (or SHRP 2) in 2005.
Performance
SHRP 2 is a targeted, short-term, results-oriented
program of strategic highway research designed to 3.0 Improved Structural Design of Pavements
advance highway performance and safety for U.S. 4.0 Materials Characterization and Mix Design
highway users. SHRP 2 focused on applied research 5.0 Construction Practices and Quality
in four areas including efforts to address the aging Management Systems
infrastructure through rapid design and construction 6.0 Innovative Contracting Approaches
methods that cause minimal disruption to traffic and
7.0 Surface Characteristics
to produce long-lived facilities.

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 13

FIGURE 1
Relationship between the overall vision and program areas

In each of these program areas, specific project a stand-alone effort. It is also recognized that the list
needs are identified using both agency and contractor includes projects already under way and some projects
requirements. The project descriptions and problem may not be completed for several years. The project
statements are presented in the full report. The projects write-ups can be found at www.hotmix.org.
represent specific short- and long-term needs for the This report clearly demonstrates the need for strong
asphalt community. However, this is intended to be partnerships between agencies and industry for the advance-
a living document, and the programs and projects ment of asphalt pavement technology. This document
are expected to change as research is completed and is a cornerstone of the asphalt communitys commit-
priorities change. Each project description is written as ment to the future of research and technology.

14 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194

The Roadmap: Where to Start

The asphalt community understands that our future pavements do not have adequate service lives for a
hinges on the ability to incorporate innovation in number of known and unknown reasons. In addition,
terms of product quality, performance, economics, there is a belief that the expectations for HMA service
and versatility. The deployment of technology in daily life are too low and that as an industry, we can do better.
operations is the result of a process of research and In order to achieve long-life asphalt pavements, best,
development of new products and methods that show and in some cases, improved practices must be used in
potential for improving pavement and materials tech- component materials selection, mixture type selection,
nology. While any contribution to the state of the art or structural design, mix design, and the construction
body of knowledge for asphalt technology stemming process. Therefore, the ability to consistently meet or
from the National Asphalt Roadmap will advance the exceed expected asphalt pavement service life will be
general understanding of the material, construction, enhanced with improvement in all aspects of asphalt
or pavement systems, the Working Group believes pavement technology.
there are certain over-arching technology goals sup- This report includes programs and projects that dis-
ported by multiple projects critical to the future of the cuss specific approaches to pavement design and struc-
Nations pavement infrastructure. With this in mind, the tural design methods. The terms Long-life pavement
Roadmap Working Group has identified high priority and Perpetual Pavement have specific meanings that
projects in the tables listed below under each of five refer to the structural design and mixture type selection
over-arching goals. While all projects in the Roadmap that is used. It has been shown that long-life pavement
are important and can be assigned to at least one of the design and construction can provide a number of eco-
goals, the listed projects are especially critical. nomic, safety, and environmental benefits. Many of
The five goals include: Long-life Pavements, En- the high priority projects that relate to this goal include
hanced Mix Design, Performance Based Specifications, continued development of Mechanistic-Empirical (M-
Enhanced Quality Management Systems, and Resource E) structural design and analysis systems and research
Availability and Cost Containment. To ensure the im- related to Perpetual Pavement design methods.
portant issues regarding HMA pavement research are A significant number of Perpetual Pavement projects
answered, the following priority projects in each of have been successfully built around the country. These
these goal areas should be accomplished. pavements have avoided distress mechanisms that orig-
inate deep within the structure and manifest themselves
as rutting or bottom-up fatigue cracking on the surface.
Goal: Long-life Pavements Because deep-rooted distresses do not occur in these
The most important goal of any research and de- pavements, there is no need to reconstruct them, and
ployment program is to improve the service life, or while their initial costs may be higher than a thinner
performance, of asphalt pavements. The programs and flexible pavement, their life-cycle costs may be lower.
projects included in this Roadmap are all ultimately Avoidance of major rehabilitation and reconstruction
focused on that over-riding goal. Whether asphalt also conserves resources in the form of asphalt cement
pavement applications are used in new construction, and aggregate. It has been estimated that a Perpetual
rehabilitation or maintenance, a satisfactory service Pavement may save as much as 20 percent asphalt
life is expected. Many current asphalt pavements are binder and 25 percent aggregate over a 50-year period.
performing exceptionally well and meet or exceed ex- Resurfacing a pavement through milling and filling is
pected service life. However, in some cases, asphalt a rapid means of restoring the smoothness and remov-

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 15

ing surface defects since the operations can typically of research and the subsequent 15 years of implementa-
be done in off-peak periods. This minimizes traffic tion have led to improved performance and producers
disruption and creates a safer condition for motorists. gaining a better understanding of HMA.
To ensure that the important questions surrounding Designing mixes to play specific roles within the
Perpetual Pavements are answered and to enable other pavement structure, specialty surface mixes for safety
forms of long-life asphalt pavements, the following list and performance, and the increased use of polymer-
of high priority projects must be completed: modified asphalts are only a few of the innovations
that have occurred in the past 20 years. However, fur-
TABLE 1 ther critical work needs to be done to advance asphalt
High priority projects supporting the mixture design and improve economy. Completing
over-arching goal of long-life pavements
the high priority projects listed below is essential in
this effort:
Project No. and Title
2.01 Improved Rehabilitation of Pavements to TABLE 2
Achieve Long-Life Pavement Criteria High priority projects supporting the
2.02 M-E Design of Perpetual Pavements over-arching goal of enhanced mix design
2.03 Document Performance to Date of Perpetual
Pavements Project No. and Title
2.07 Fatigue Endurance Limits of Perpetual 4.05 Measurement of Interaction Between the
Pavement Designs Asphalt and Aggregate Surface
2.09 Improve Aggregate Properties for Use in 4.07 Warm Mix Asphalt
Long-Life Pavements 4.09 Develop High RAP Content Mix Design
2.11 Remaining Service Life of In-Place Asphalt Procedure
Pavements 4.11 Improved Equipment and Test Procedures
3.01 Validate and Refine Proposed M-E Design 4.14 Field versus Laboratory Volumetric and
Guide Mechanical Properties
3.04 Improved Characterization of In Situ Material 4.16 Validate/Refine Superpave Mix Design
Properties Procedure
3.05 Development of Next Generation of M-E 4.17 Mix Designs to Utilize Locally Available
Analysis Systems Materials
3.08 Development of In Situ Structural Monitoring
Systems
4.01 Full-Scale Accelerated Performance Testing
4.10 Accelerated Laboratory Performance Testing Enhanced Quality
7.01 High Friction Surfaces Management Systems
7.03 Mix Types to Improve Friction and Mitigate
Noise Numerous improvements have been made in the pro-
7.06 Safety-Driven Pavement Surface Type duction, quality control, and quality assurance of hot-
Selection mix asphalt. As construction processes have evolved,
production and paving personnel have seen the benefit
of receiving feedback concerning quality as material
is manufactured and placed. Adjustments made on the
Enhanced Mix Design basis of such information result in more consistent pro-
Advances in the selection of materials and design of duction, better efficiency, higher quality, and, in many
hot-mix asphalt are essential to providing performance, cases, increased payment. Quality control has come to
economy, and versatility to the final product. This has mean more than material sampling and testing, it in-
been evident in the Superpave system resulting from the cludes communications, troubleshooting, and training
Strategic Highway Research Program, where five years so that all construction personnel are focused on the

16 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194

quality of the final product. Although great strides have specifications that are based on specifying the quality
been made within the industry in improving the quality characteristics of materials and construction that relate
of the final product, more training and technology must to long-term performance for specific applications.
be brought to bear on the issue through the following These specifications also provide HMA producers and
set of high priority projects: paving contractors with the flexibility to incorporate
innovations in their operations as they assume the risk
TABLE 3 for long-term performance. Thus, much will hinge on
High priority projects supporting the
over-arching goal of enhanced quality
management systems

Project No. and Title

1.01-1.04 Workforce Development
5.04 Real-time Process Control for Asphalt
Plant Operations
5.05 Real-time Process Control for Laydown
and Compaction
5.06 Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) for
Process Control and QC/QA
5.09 Improve Risk Assessment of QC/QA
Statistical Specifications
5.11 Work Zone Safety
5.15 Improve the Quality of Night
Construction

Performance Based the mechanical properties of the final mix and the rela-
Specifications tionships of these properties to the desired performance
of the material. In order to make significant progress
There are many factors that dictate the performance in this area, completion of the following high-priority
of asphalt pavements. Materials selection, thickness projects is considered essential:
design, construction quality, traffic, and climate are
all primary considerations in performance. In the past, TABLE 4
asphalt mixtures have been manufactured and placed High priority projects supporting the
according to specifications that are assumed to be inher- over-arching goal of performance based
ently related to pavement performance. However, the specifications
direct relationships between mixture characteristics and
pavement behavior have been elusive. For instance, it Project No. and Title
is widely believed that pavement fatigue life, rutting, 2.06 Validate/Refine Pavement Performance Type
durability, and aging are strongly correlated with HMA Specifications
density or void content. Yet differences in aggregate 4.01 Full-Scale Accelerated Performance Testing
size (fine versus large), gradation (dense versus open 4.02 Improved Asphalt Binder Specification
versus gap), mix components (fiber or mineral filler), 4.04 Performance-Based and Related Aggregate
and binder grade prevent this relationship from being Properties
universal. 4.10 Accelerated Laboratory Performance Testing
In the future, in order to ensure long-life pavements, 4.13 Develop Durability Test
a greater effort will need to be made in developing

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 17

Resource Availability/Cost TABLE 5
High priority projects supporting
Containment the over-arching goal of resource
Future uncertainty in the supply of materials for availability/cost containment
hot-mix asphalt, unpredictability in the cost of energy,
and the need for economic stability in construction Project No. and Title
markets requires that private industry and public agen- 2.04 Advanced Understanding of Life Cycle Costs
cies maintain the greatest possible flexibility in the for Asphalt Pavements
selection of materials, mixture design, production, and 2.05 Update User/Non-user Cost Data
placement while preserving performance. A recent case 4.03 Development of Alternative Binder Materials
in point was the 2005-2006 oil price increase which 4.08 Additional Recycled Materials (other than
led to increased construction prices around the world. RAP)
Another example is the inability of currently permitted 4.17 Mix Designs to Utilize Locally Available
aggregate resources to meet the increasing demand for Materials
construction and highway products in some key mar- 5.01 Energy Efficiency
kets. Site permitting, zoning in metropolitan areas, and 5.02 Recycling Technologies
governmental regulatory barriers have made it difficult 5.03 Improved Construction Equipment and
to open new aggregate operations to meet this demand Procedures
and usable deposits are often covered up (or rendered 6.01 Develop Rapid Construction Methods
unusable) because of land-use policies. 6.02 Risk Assessment of Non-Traditional
Contracting Techniques
7.04 Economics of Pavement Smoothness

The Challenge
The major challenge confronting the whole trans-
portation community is maintaining the flow of people,
goods, and services that allow the United States to
remain economically competitive in a rapidly chang-
ing global marketplace. An essential component of this
challenge is the continued improvement of the technol-
ogy to design, build, and maintain roadways which
are the fundamental arteries of the national economy.
This challenge is even more difficult because it comes
at a time when the asphalt community is struggling to
maintain an aging infrastructure with increasing traffic
and shrinking resources. For asphalt pavements, the
challenge can be met using a nationally coordinated
Maintaining the national infrastructure must be a effort to conduct research focused on specific programs
high priority for this country to maintain its economic and projects.
competitiveness. Reuse of materials, energy con- The projects presented in the Roadmap represent
servation, improved construction techniques, use of the Working Groups top priority for research, devel-
locally available materials, and use of viable alterna- opment, and deployment. Some would more appro-
tive materials are strategies that may be employed to priately be addressed at a national level while others
provide greater economy and improved sustainability. would be more pertinent to local conditions. In order
The following projects are a high priority in achieving to meet the future needs of the system of pavements in
these goals: this country, all of these topics will require attention.

18 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194

 National
Asphalt Roadmap
A Committment to the Future
SUMMARY OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

No. Project/Program Objectives

1 Workforce Development Develop strategies to recruit, retain, and develop the HMA workforce.

1.01 Workforce Growth Develop and implement possible avenues for increasing the workforce
in asphalt community
1.02 Workforce Training and Develop avenues for training existing workforce on current technologies
Development
1.03 Train the Trainers Develop a cadre of qualified experts to conduct technical/workforce
training in the HMA industry
1.04 Standardization of Workforce Develop universal standards to establish levels of competency in
Competency technical and skilled labor

2


Long-life Pavements and
Pavement Performance
Verify and improve technology for long-life pavement structural
design, materials optimization, life cycle cost analysis, and data
collection techniques for pavement evaluation

2.01 Improved Rehabilitation of Develop approaches for rehabilitating existing pavements to meet
Pavements to Achieve Long- long-life pavement criteria
life Pavement Criteria
2.02 Mechanistic-Empirical Design Validate design values and criteria used in Perpetual Pavement design
of Perpetual Pavements
2.03 Document Performance of Review existing pavements meeting Perpetual Pavement criteria to
Perpetual Pavements evaluate performance
2.04 Advanced Understanding of Develop typical life cycle cost information and approaches for obtaining
Life Cycle Costs for Asphalt the information for asphalt pavements
Pavements
2.05 Update User and Non-user Develop rational user/non-user cost information associated with HMA
Cost Data pavement applications
2.06 Validate and Refine Pavement Validate/refine performance type specifications for design and placement
Performance Type Specifications of asphalt pavements

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 19

No. Project/Program Objectives

2.07 Fatigue Endurance Limits of Validate fatigue endurance levels with a field experiment
Perpetual Pavement Designs

2.08 Improved Hot-Mix Asphalt Determine difference in properties among compacted HMA samples that
Sample Preparation and are used in mix design, used for QC/QA purposes during production /
Pavement Performance construction and used for testing of in-place pavements
Prediction

2.09 Improved Aggregate Properties Develop aggregate treatments to alter properties and provide long-life
for Use in Long-life Pavements performance

2.10 High-modulus Asphalt Develop/validate design and construction criteria and procedures for
Base Courses in Perpetual high-modulus base layers
Pavement

3


Improved Structural Design
of Pavements
Develop improved design methods, which will optimize HMA pavements
to accommodate future changes in traffic and materials while acounting
for environmental effects.

3.01 Validate and Refine Proposed Validation and refinement of new Mechanistic-Empirical Design Guide being
Mechanistic-Empirical Design implemented under NCHRP 1-40
Guide

3.02 Develop Pavement Structural Develop simplified approach to structural design of low-volume roadways
Design Guide for Low-Volume
Roads

3.03 Improved Structural Design for Develop improved structural methods for heavy duty loading situations
Special Vehicles on Heavy Duty
Pavements

3.04 Improved Characterization of Explore test equipment and methods for characterization of in-situ materials
In-Situ Material Properties prior to an asphalt overlay, including cold and hot recycled AC and fractured
PCC during pavement rehabilitation projects

3.05 Development of Next Generation Develop improved Mechanistic-Empirical design methods

of Mechanistic-Empirical
Analysis Systems

3.06 Porous Pavement Design Guide Develop improved design procedures for porous pavements for various
applications including material guidelines and guide specifications

3.07 Laboratory Determination of Develop realistic testing procedures for material properties to be used in flexible
Material Properties for Structural pavement design
Design

3.08 Development of In Situ Structural Develop instrumentation and data systems capable of monitoring the long-
Monitoring Systems term structural conditions of flexible pavements in-place

20 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194

No. Project/Program Objectives

4

Materials Characterization
and Mix Design
To develop test methods, specifications, and performance relationships, which
will lead to optimization of materials and mix design for asphalt pavements.

4.01 Full-scale Accelerated Develop guidelines and recommended practice for design, construction and
Performance Testing operation of full-scale APTs
4.02 Improved Asphalt Binder Validate/refine the Superpave PG system for neat and modified
Specification asphalt binders
4.03 Development of Alternative Identify and study alternative binder materials for use in
Binder Materials flexible pavement mixtures
4.04 Performance-Based / Related Develop and validate performance-based aggregate characterization
Aggregate Properties techniques for inclusion in the mixture design system
4.05 Measurement of Interaction Identify laboratory equipment and test procedures to measure the
Between the Asphalt strength of the interaction (bond) between the asphalt
and Aggregate Surface and aggregate surface
4.06 Moisture Damage Susceptibility Improve fundamental understanding of moisture susceptibility, including mix
of HMA Mixtures design and QC/QA tests and treatments/additives during production
4.07 Warm-Mix Asphalt Investigate, validate, refine warm-mix asphalt technologies and analyze mix
design, performance, and environmental data
4.08 Additional Recycled Materials Identify and develop procedures/guidance for the effective and economical
(other than RAP) recycling of reclaimed/reprocessed materials (other than RAP)
4.09 Develop High RAP Content Develop means to produce high quality, high RAP content HMA mixtures
Mix Design Procedure including RAP with polymers, asphalt-rubber, roofing shingles, etc.
4.10 Accelerated Laboratory Develop improved laboratory tests/constitutive models to better predict
Performance Testing pavement performance
4.11 Improved Equipment and Identify laboratory equipment and test procedures to increase automation and
Test Procedures reduced variability
4.12 Laboratory Workability Test Develop a laboratory workability device to assess the ease of placement/
compactability in the field
4.13 Laboratory Durability Test Develop improved durability test for mixture aging/moisture sensitivity
correlated to performance
4.14 Field Versus Laboratory Define the causes of the differences between laboratory mixed-laboratory-
Volumetric and Mechanical compacted and field mixed-laboratory-compacted, and field mixed-field-
Properties compacted (QC/QA) volumetric and mechanical property test results
4.15 HMA for Low Traffic Roadways Develop HMA mixture design approach with specific applicability to low traffic
pavements where durability may be a more important characteristic than
structural capability
4.16 Validate and Refine Superpave Investigate, validate, and refine new Superpave mix design procedure from
Mix Design Procedure NCHRP 9-33
4.17 Mix Designs to Utilize Locally Develop mixture design approaches to ensure the performance of HMA
Available Materials comprised of locally available materials
4.18 Resource Availability Study for Forecast national supply and demand for asphalt binders and aggregates and
Asphalt Binders and Aggregates develop approach for resource analysis at regional and local levels

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 21

No. Project/Program Objectives

5

Construction Practices and To develop construction practices to improve quality, increase productivity,
Quality Management Systems improve safety, and extend pavement life.

5.01 Energy Efficiency Identify and develop equipment, innovations/improvements that will result
in improved energy efficiency

5.02 Recycling Technologies Improve equipment and best practices to facilitate the incorporation of reclaimed
asphalt pavement (RAP) materials into recycled HMA

5.03 Improved Construction Identify innovative laydown/compaction equipment and procedures that will
Equipment and Procedures result in improved quality/efficiency in paving operations

5.04 Real-Time Process Control for Develop real-time test methods and processes for QC and QA purposes at HMA
Asphalt Plant Operations production plants

5.05 Real-Time Process Control for Develop real-time process control technologies for HMA laydown and
Laydown and Compaction compaction operations

5.06 Non-Destructive Evaluation Identify and conduct research on NDE Process Control and QC/QA tools
(NDE) for Process Control
and QC/QA

5.07 Longitudinal Joints Develop best practices for joint construction

5.08 Develop a Fundamental Model Develop models and advanced guidance to better understand the compaction
for Field Compaction process of HMA

5.9 Improve Risk Assessment of Standardize procedures and develop software to evaluate buyer/seller risk of a
QC/QA Statistical Specifications QC/QA statistical specification

5.10 Improved Techniques to Obtain Evaluate new opportunities to improve HMA pavement smoothness and
and Measure HMA Smoothness measuring equipment

5.11 Improved Work Zone Safety Identify ways to improve work zone safety devices/ methods and develop
guidelines for best practices

5.12 Asphalt Binder Content Develop improved means of measuring the asphalt binder content of HMA
Measurement mixtures

5.13 Segregation Control Develop improved methods for measuring segregation longitudinally and
transversely and develop guide specifications for segregation

5.14 In-Place Recycling Evaluate ways to improve materials/equipment and develop guidelines for
best practices of hot and cold in-place asphalt recycling techniques using
bituminous materials

5.15 Improve the Quality of Night Develop methods to improve the construction of pavements during nighttime
Construction through better equipment, practices, and inspection techniques

22 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194

No. Project/Program Objectives

6

Innovative Contracting
Approaches
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of innovative and
non-traditional financing contracting approaches used for HMA projects.

6.01 Develop Rapid Construction Develop and evaluate new opportunities to reduce construction time, improve
Methods safety, and improve economics while maintaining quality. Develop techniques to
reduce lane occupancy time during placement of asphalt pavements
6.02 Risk Assessment of Non- Evaluate the performance of projects built with innovative and/or non-traditional
Traditional Contracting contracting to determine economic risks for owner/contractor
Techniques
6.03 Critical Review of Pavement Evaluate the pavement performance of existing warranty projects and the cost/
Projects Built Using Non- benefit of non-traditional projects, including the appropriate length and
Traditional Contracts conditions of the warranty
6.04 Best Practices for Innovative Prepare a document describing the best practice for engaging in warranty,
Contracting design-build, design-build-maintain, design-build-operate contracts

6.05 Education and Training for Conduct workshops, seminars, and online training for consulting engineers to
Design Consultants become familiar with pavement design standards in an innovative contracting
environment
6.06 Best Practices for Maintenance Develop a document that provides guidance to policy makers, administrators,
Contracting and Facility Leasing agency personnel on contract content and performance standards for
maintenance/facility leasing contracts

7 Surface Characteristics

To develop materials selection, design methods, QC/QA guidelines,
performance relationships, and mix type selection for mixes to improve
surface characteristics (friction, smoothness, splash/spray, and noise)
of HMA pavements.

7.01 High Friction Surfaces Develop improved materials selection, design methods, QC/QA for
high friction surface mixes
7.02 Pavement Noise Reduction Evaluate noise characteristics of materials/tests to measure noise
7.03 Mix Types to Improve Friction Develop a recommended practice for HMA mixtures that can be used to
and Mitigate Noise provide an acceptable level of friction and noise mitigation
7.04 Economics of Pavement Develop benefit/cost relationships for pavement smoothness considering both
Smoothness agency/user costs
7.05 Advanced Surface Developed advanced models relating 3-dimensional images to pavement
Characteristics Model surface characteristics, specifically: noise and spray
7.06 Safety-Driven Pavement Develop surface HMA mix type selection guidance to enhance overall safety
Surface Type Selection
7.07 Thin-Lift Surfaces Develop improved mixtures and construction techniques for thin-lift
surface construction

NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194 23

24 NATIONAL ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION SR 194