Synthesis of design and construction practices

COMPOSITE PAVEMENT SYSTEMS:

SYNTHESIS OF DESIGN

AND CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES

FINAL

CONTRACT REPORT

VTRC 09-CR2

http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/09-cr2.pdf

GERARDO W. FLINTSCH, Ph.D., P.E.

Director

Center for Safe and Sustainable Infrastructure

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

BRIAN K. DIEFENDERFER, Ph.D., P.E.

Research Scientist

Virginia Transportation Research Council

ORLANDO NUNEZ

Graduate Research Assistant

Center for Safe and Sustainable Infrastructure

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

Standard Title Page - Report on Federally Funded Project  

1. Report No.: 

2. Government Accession No.: 

3. Recipient’s Catalog No.: 

FHWA/VTRC 09-CR2 

 

 

4. Title and Subtitle: 

5. Report Date: 

November 2008 

6. Performing Organization Code: 

Composite Pavement Systems: Synthesis of Design and Construction Practices 

 

7. Author(s): 

Gerardo W. Flintsch, Ph.D., P.E., Brian K. Diefenderfer, Ph.D., P.E., and Orlando 

Nunez 

8. Performing Organization Report No.: 

VTRC 09-CR2 

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS): 

 

11. Contract or Grant No.: 

9. Performing Organization and Address: 

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute 

3500 Transportation Research Plaza 

Blacksburg, VA 24061 

85414 

12. Sponsoring Agencies’ Name and Address: 

13. Type of Report and Period Covered: 

Final Contract 

14. Sponsoring Agency Code: 

Virginia Department of Transportation 

1401 E. Broad Street 

Richmond, VA 23219 

Federal Highway Administration 

400 North 8th Street, Room 750 

Richmond, VA 23219-4825 

 

15.  Supplementary Notes: 

 

16. Abstract: 

 

Composite pavement systems have shown the potential for becoming a cost-effective pavement alternative for highways 

with high and heavy traffic volumes, especially in Europe.  This study investigated the design and performance of composite 

pavement structures composed of a flexible layer (top-most layer) over a rigid base.  The report compiles (1) a literature review 

of composite pavement systems in the U.S. and worldwide; (2) an evaluation of the state-of-the-practice in the U.S. obtained 

using a survey; (3) an investigation of technical aspects of various alternative composite pavement systems designed using 

available methodologies and mechanistic-empirical pavement distress models (fatigue, rutting, and reflective cracking); and (4) a 

preliminary life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) to study the feasibility of the most promising composite pavement systems. 

 

Composite pavements, when compared to traditional flexible or rigid pavements, have the potential to become a cost-

effective alternative because they may provide better levels of performance, both structurally and functionally, than the 

traditional flexible and rigid pavement designs.  Therefore, they can be viable options for high volume traffic corridors.  

Countries, such as the U.K. and Spain, which have used composite pavement systems in their main road networks, have reported 

positive experiences in terms of functional and structural performance.  Composite pavement structures can provide long-life 

pavements that offer good serviceability levels and rapid, cost-effective maintenance operations, which are highly desired, 

especially for high-volume, high-priority corridors.   

 

Composite pavements mitigate various structural and functional problems that typical flexible or rigid pavements tend to 

present, such as hot-mix asphalt (HMA) fatigue cracking, subgrade rutting, portland cement concrete (PCC) erosion, and PCC 

loss of friction, among others.  At the same time, though, composite systems are potentially more prone to other distresses, such 

as reflective cracking and rutting within the HMA layer.  Premium HMA surfaces and/or reflective cracking mitigation 

techniques may be required to mitigate these potential problems. 

 

At the economic level, the results of the deterministic agency-cost LCCA suggest that the use of a composite pavement 

with a cement-treated base (CTB) results in a cost-effective alternative for a typical interstate traffic scenario.  Alternatively, a 

composite pavement with a continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) base may become more cost-effective for very 

high volumes of traffic.  Further, in addition to savings in agency cost, road user cost savings could also be important, especially 

for the HMA over CRCP composite pavement option because it would not require any lengthy rehabilitation actions, as is the 

case for the typical flexible and rigid pavements.   

 

17 Key Words: 

18. Distribution Statement: 

composite pavement, pavement type selection, semi-rigid 

pavement, mechanistic evaluation 

No restrictions.  This document is available to the public 

through NTIS, Springfield, VA 22161. 

19. Security Classif. (of this report): 

20. Security Classif. (of this page): 

21. No. of Pages: 

22. Price: 

 Unclassified 

Unclassified 

58 

 

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