Comparison of low-temperature cracks intensity on pavements with high modulus asphalt concrete and conventional asphalt concrete bases

High modulus asphalt concrete (HMAC) base courses provide very good resistance to rutting and fatigue but they can increase the risk of low-temperature cracking as compared with conventional asphalt concrete (AC). The article presents the comparison of these two road materials in terms of low-temperature cracking. The statistical method based on the ordered logistic regression model was used. The analysis was based on results of field investigations, that was carried out on 80 selected road sections being in normal service in Poland. The intensity of low-temperature cracking was an analysed parameter. The results of the analysis indicated evident effect of asphalt base type on intensity of low-temperature cracking. Besides the effect of mixture type, the method included influence of climatic condition and pavement age on low-temperature cracking. The essence of the analysis was to compare the probabilities of being of pavement in the group with a given cracks intensity. It was revealed that pavements with high modulus asphalt bases had 2.45 times higher odds of being in the group of cracked pavements than pavements with conventional asphalt concrete bases.