Performance of CAL/APT Drained and Undrained Pavements Under HVS Loading

Abstract

The Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) test results of the first experiment of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Accelerated Pavement Testing Program, known as CAL/APT, are presented. The Goal 1 experiment was designed to validate the existing Caltrans pavement thickness design method for drained (containing an asphalt treated permeable base layer) and undrained (containing aggregate base only) flexible pavements. The pavement performance results include fatigue crack development, surface profile, and vertical deflections. The observed performance of the two types of structures is compared. The effects of construction compaction of the asphalt concrete, bonding between asphalt concrete lifts, the relative performance of the drained and undrained structures under the controlled HVS environment, and comparison of the observed performance and performance expected by the thickness design procedure are presented and discussed.