Asphalt Pavement Analyzer—laboratory tool for characterization of rutting performance of airport pavement Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)

The new aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus 350, will have tire pressures exceeding 220 psi (1.52 MPa). The effects of high tire pressure are localized and concentrated in the surface layers of the pavement structure. This has necessitated the need to study the effects of high tire pressures on the Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) surfaces and also develop HMA mix design procedures to produce mixes that can withstand these anticipated higher tire pressures. In this study, rutting performance of two HMA airport mixes with three different binders was studied using a customized Asphalt Pavement Analyzer (APA). The APA tests were conducted at 1.75 MPa (254 psi) at 50°C and 65°C to simulate the effects of high tire pressures and high pavement temperatures in airport pavements. The test results showed that for HMA mixes with Polymer Modified Binders (PMA), the effect of increased tire pressure on rutting was insignificant. These results were verified with full-scale accelerated pavement tests using Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS-A) at FAA’s National Airport Pavement & Materials Research Center (NAPMRC).