Asphalt Pavement Reflective Cracking Model to Better Address Rehabilitation

The Federal Highway Administration intends to solicit a contract for the below services: Solicitation Number: 693JJ320R000025 Title: Asphalt Pavement Reflective Cracking Model to Better Address Rehabilitation Synopsis: New highway construction is generally a very small percentage of roadway construction activities and expenditures nationally. A significant majority of highway construction is to repair and rehabilitate existing damaged pavements; with repairs often occurring over existing cracked pavements. Existing cracks from lower pavement layers will reflect upward toward through the repair or new pavement layer placed on top of the structure as a new surface overlay. The reflective cracking causes accelerated deterioration of the pavement and poor performance resulting in cracked, noisy, rough pavements requiring more frequent repairs and increased funds for repair and maintenance. A reflective cracking model which can be used to simulate and predict this behavior can be used to design pavement repairs and new surface overlays to mitigate and slow the rate of reflective cracks and reduce the frequency of repair; resulting in better performing, safe, quiet, durable, long lasting asphalt roadways. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has developed mechanistically based models to predict the cracking and rutting performance of asphalt pavement mixtures. These models form the basis of the asphalt performance related specification (PRS) development effort and are being implemented into a FlexPAVETM software program for analyzing pavements and predicting distress. Benefits of PRS and the models include: (1) Use of material characterization using dynamic modulus and cyclic fatigue tests for all cracking distresses (compared to the use of different test methods required to assess each different cracking distress type); AASHTO R 83 Standard Practice for Preparation of Cylindrical Performance Test Specimens Using the Superpave Gyratory Compactor (SGC) AASHTO PP 99 (2019) Standard Method of Practice for Preparation of Small Cylindrical Performance Test Specimens Using the Superpave Gyratory Compactor (SGC) and Field Cores AASHTO T 378 Standard Method of Test for Determining the Dynamic Modulus and Flow Number for Asphalt Mixtures Using the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) AASHTO TP 132 (2019) Standard Method of Test for Determining the Dynamic Modulus for Asphalt Mixtures Using Small Specimens in the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) AASHTO TP 107 Standard Method of Test for Determining the Damage Characteristic Curve and Failure Criterion Using the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) Cyclic Fatigue Test AASHTO R 84 Standard Practice for Developing Dynamic Modulus Master Curves for Asphalt Mixtures Using the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) AASHTO TP 133 (2019) Standard Method of Test for Determining the Damage Characteristic Curve and Failure Criterion Using Small Specimens in the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) Cyclic Fatigue Test (2) Simplified visco-elastic materials characterization, pavement performance simulation, and damage prediction; and (3) The applicability for the models to be used beyond PRS; such as for pavement design strategies. Recent developments in these performance tests, FlexMATTM, FlexMIXTM and FlexPAVETM provide highway agencies and asphalt paving community with a unique opportunity to use performance tests and mechanistic models for asphalt performance engineered mixture design, asphalt pavement design, and PRS to integrate these different phases in pavement construction using the same test methods and mechanistic principles. These tools help link material characteristics from testing with mechanistic models to predict performance; and ultimately identify how to best design, construct, and accept a pavement. Existing PRS modeling efforts have focused on top down fatigue cracking, bottom up fatigue cracking, rutting in individual layers, and thermal cracking distress of both new pavement construction and rehabilitation projects. In current form, the PRS methodology can be applied to rehabilitation projects for these distresses found in newly constructed pavements. To be fully applicable for the analysis of asphalt pavement overlays, FlexPAVETM needs augmented with an asphalt reflective cracking distress model for its mechanistically based performance modeling and distress prediction. The objective of this requirement is to assess current asphalt pavement cracking models that can be applied to reflective cracking and further research, develop, calibrate, train, and validate a mechanistically based asphalt pavement reflective cracking model that is consistent with existing FlexPAVETM methodology and performance tests; incorporate it into the FlexPAVETM software and the FlexMATTM and FlexMIXTM data analysis tools, and assess and incorporate run time improvements to the model, software, and analysis tools. This procurement is to be issued as an unrestricted procurement. The period of performance is anticipated to be 44 months. Evaluation factors for award will consist of Technical Capabilities, Past Performance, and Cost/Price. The best value to the Government based on these factors will determine award. The solicitation will be available on or about August 24, 2020. There is no further information we can provide at this time.