Compendium of Research Activities to Date: Evaluation of the Performance of Texas Asphalt Concrete Pavements Made with Different Coarse Aggregates

For many years, engineers have recognized the different performance characteristics of asphalt and concrete pavements constructed with different coarse and fine aggregates. Past research has shown the importance of monitoring these aggregates fo~ physi~~ and che_mic~ properties ~uch as abrasion resistance, polis.h value, gradation, :Soundness, fineness modulus, specific-gravicy·; and absorj,tion. Using various tests to determine these aggregate properties, engineers are able to screen aggregates before they are ever used for pavement construction. Unfortunately, this selection of tests does not insure the long term performance of pavements in the field as illustrated by the numerous pavement failures at early age. This research attempts to address these shortfalls in the quality control and pavement design processes related to aggregates used in construction. This research has been comprehensive in the area of pavement aggregate. Numerous Master's Thesis' and Ph.D. dissertations have been completed under the auspices of this study. These include work performed both at Texas A & M University and the University of Texas at Austin. As a result, the principal investigators responsible for this study, felt it was necessary to pull together all of the work that has been performed to date in the form of a compendium. The compendium is comprehensive and includes detailed research activities that have been conducted to date.