Abstract
PURPOSES : The objective of this study is to verify the effect of fiber grid reinforcement on the long-term performance of asphalt pavement overlaid on old concrete pavement by performing field investigation, laboratory test, and finite element analysis. METHODS : The reflection cracking, roughness, and rutting of fiber grid reinforced overlay sections and ordinary overlay sections were compared. Cores were obtained from both the fiber grid reinforced and ordinary sections to measure bonding shear strength between the asphalt intermediate and asphalt overlay layers. Fracture energy, displacement after yield, shear stiffnesses of the cores were also obtained by analyzing the test results. Finite element analysis was performed using the test results to validate the effect of the fiber grid reinforcement on long-term performance of asphalt pavement overlaid on the old concrete pavement. The fatigue cracking and reflection-cracking were predicted for three cases: 1) fiber grid was not used; 2) glass fiber grid was used; 3) carbon fiber grid was used. RESULTS : The reflection-cracking ratio of fiber grid reinforced sections was much smaller than that of ordinary sections. The fiber grid reinforcement also showed reduction effect on rutting while that on roughness was not clear. The reflection-cracking was not affected by traffic volume but by slab deformation and joint movement caused by temperature variation. The bonding shear strength of the fiber grid reinforced sections was larger than that of the ordinary sections. The fracture energy, displacement after yield, and shear stiffnesses of the cores of the fiber grid reinforced sections were also larger than those of the ordinary sections. Finite element analysis results showed that fatigue cracking of glass or carbon fiber grid reinforced pavement was much smaller than that of ordinary pavement. Carbon fiber grid reinforcement showed larger effect in elongating the fatigue life of the ordinary overlay pavement compared to glass fiber grid reinforcement. The binder type of the overlay layer also affected the fatigue life. The fiber grid reinforcement resisted reflection-cracking and the carbon fiber grid showed the greater effect. CONCLUSIONS :The results of field investigation, laboratory test, and finite element analysis showed that the fiber grid reinforcement had a better effect on improving long-term performance of asphalt pavement overlaid on the old concrete pavement.
