Durability and Degradation of a Test Road: A 17-Year Case Study

Abstract: Pavement structure plays a crucial role in the overall performance and durability of road infrastructure. Long-term monitoring of pavement behavior under real traffic and climate conditions is essential for understanding surface degradation mechanisms, selecting sustainable construction materials, optimizing asphalt paving technologies, and enhancing quality control measures. This study investigates the long-term performance of a Test Road with 27 different pavement structures constructed in 2007. This Test Road is distinctive due its location. One lane is heavily trafficked by trucks transporting materials from a nearby quarry, while the other lane is exposed to significantly lower loads as empty trucks pass through on their return journey. The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of different materials and construction techniques on pavement bearing capacity, resistance to rutting, and overall sustainability considering traffic loads. Data on the bearing capacity, rutting depth, traffic volume and other relevant parameters were collected and analyzed in 2007-2024. Statistical methods were employed to identify correlations between material properties, construction methods, and performance outcomes. The analysis revealed significant variations in bearing capacity and rut depth across different pavement sections, as well as between loaded and unloaded lanes. The best performance was observed for pavement structures: (i) No 1, which has the thickest asphalt base course (14 cm) and base course from gravel-sand mixture 0/32 (20 cm); (ii) No. 5, which base course consists of 10 cm recycled asphalt and 10 cm crushed dolomite 0/32; (iii) No. 7, which course consists of 20 cm crushed granite and sand mixture 0/32. These pavements structures are recommended to be widely used to construct roads and streets when ESALs varies from 1.8 to 3.0 million.