STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS OF BITUMINOUS PAVING MIXTURES

Bituminous paving mixtures (BPMs) are used as surface or base layers in a pavement structure to distribute stresses caused by loading and to protect the underlying unbound layers from the effects of water. Many factors affect the ability of a BPM to meet these structural requirements. This paper, authored by members of the Transportation Research Board Committee on Characteristics of Bituminous Paving Mixtures to Meet Structural Requirements, provides a summary of some of the principal issues and challenges associated with the design and production of BPMs that can meet the ever-increasing structural needs of modern pavements.