Development of asphalt binder performance grades for Omani climate

Asphalt pavements form an integral part of any transportation system. Temperature is a significant factor that affects the performance and life span of a pavement. This paper presents the research undertaken to develop models to predict high and low asphalt pavement temperatures in Oman using data from an installed monitoring station at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) campus. The models were compared with SHRP and LTPP models. Ten weather stations covering various regions of Oman were selected. The air temperature data for the selected stations were analyzed. The data was used together with the developed models to propose asphalt binder performance grades (PG) for the various regions of Oman. The developed models resulted in four high temperature grades: PG 52, 58, 64, and 70. The predicted low pavement temperatures were well above the available PG grades according to AASHTO M 320, and therefore, the grades were restricted to PG-10 and PG-16.