Evaluation of six modified binders for retardation of crack reflection through laboratory studies and field work.

Abstract

Large amounts of money are spent annually on sealing or overlaying cracked road pavements, however, the reflection of cracks through these materials is a problem experienced worldwide. In countries with well-developed road infrastructures where the road networks are ageing (and available funds are often decreasing) it is becoming increasingly important to apply successful and cost-effective rehabilitative measures. Even though materials such as bitumen-rubbers, geofabrics and polymer-modified binders demonstrate some ability to retard reflection cracking, they still sometimes fail prematurely. In South Africa, the lack of performance-related design procedures, criteria and specifications for the selection of materials to solve specific problems, has led to a number of research projects.