Qualification of wearing course material surface evolution after durability test

A laboratory study is presented which focuses on the analysis of the macro-texture evolution of asphalt mixes under cyclic vertical loading and varying temperature. Specimens are laser-scanned before and after tests with a varying number of cycles. Several statistical roughness indicators are measured in 2D and 3D and a geostatistical analysis is carried on. The influence of the size of the domain of analysis is analyzed. A minimal size of 30 mm is required, for a maximum aggregate size of 10 m, in order to obtain stable results, representative of the macrotexture. The effect of material heterogeneity is also investigated. It is shown that the variation of the average roughness is caused by both cyclic loading and temperature, the latter factor being the more influencial. The effects of loading and temperature cannot be simply combined.

► Skid resistance is linked to macro-texture evolution.
► A laboratory test simulates the wearing course evolution with traffic.
► A laser profilometer allows the building of 3D profiles before and after tests.
► A new procedure with a set of various indicators allows the characterization of wearing course durability.