Winter Maintenance of Ultra-Thin Bonded Wearing Course (UTBWC): A Case Study in Minnesota

Document Type : Article

Authors

Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Ultra-Thin Bonded Wearing Course (UTBWC) is utilized as a preventive maintenance option to extend pavement life by postponing the need for rehabilitation or reconstruction operations. UTBWC usually consists of a thin open-graded asphalt mixture over a polymer-modified emulsion membrane, which is applied by special pavers. Regarding the open-graded structure and rough texture of UTBWC, their winter maintenance differs from conventional pavements, leading to some challenges in the maintenance process. In this regard, this study aims to investigate the winter maintenance of UTBWC overlays through a comprehensive literature review, case study evaluation of a UTBWC section in Minnesota (performance and economic assessments), and field survey on the experiences with the UTBWC winter maintenance from Department of Transportation (DOT) specialists of some US states that are located in cold regions. The results showed that the winter maintenance of UTBWC sections, due to their porous structure and open-graded aggregate texture, which promotes greater accumulation of snow and ice, requires more deicing materials and more frequent snow plowing, which results in higher winter maintenance costs. Also, to avoid the accumulation of blown snow on the UTBWC surface, it is recommended to avoid the use of UTBWC in rural windy environments where the roadway runs in a direction perpendicular to the common wind direction. Economic assessment of the UTBWC section shows that the winter maintenance of UTBWC was more costly than the conventional mixtures and overlays. On the other hand, the results of the case study showed that the performance of UTBWC, in terms of Ride Quality Index (RQI), was better than the conventional Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) overlay, which can reduce the overall maintenance cost and make UTBWC an economical preventive maintenance option. Therefore, decision-making regarding the management and maintenance of these overlays can be facilitated by considering a multifaceted approach, including technical, economic, and environmental performance. Also, a better understanding of the behavior of UTBWC and its maintenance methods can help to make more effective and better decisions for the implementation of this type of wearing course in the cold regions.

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Main Subjects

References

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