Long-life, pavement, design, flexible, rigid, semi-rigid,

During 1998/99, WERD asked for topics of interest affecting the European road network, with the aim of identifying any knowledge gap and to initiate future research. Long-Life Pavements (LLPs) was one of the topics suggested by the UK Highways Agency and was later endorsed by WERD as appropriate for a co-operative approach.

The European Long-Life PAvement Group (ELLPAG) was subsequently established as a FEHRL Working Group to act as the focal point for determining the way forward. Members of the Group comprise representatives of research institutes who are FEHRL members, and a member of the UK Highways Agency.

Two levels of membership of the Group have been created. Firstly, a core membership who are directly involved in the work of the Group and where representatives attend regular meetings as required. (All these members are from either the FEHRL or WERD organisations.) Secondly, there are associate or affiliate members who are kept informed of the work of the Group and contribute through supplying information as requested and commenting on draft outputs. (These members do not need to be part of FEHRL or WERD.) The current core membership is listed in Annex A.

As a result of a number of meetings of the core Group, Terms of Reference have been established for the Group and these are stated in Annexe E. In creating Terms of Reference for the Group we have had to consider the scope of the meaning of long life pavements. It has been suggested that this should not be ‘life’ related but based on the concept that a long life pavement is one that is heavily trafficked, and is designed and maintained such that no structural deterioration occurs in the main supporting layers of the pavement, whatever the traffic loading conditions. The only deterioration that occurs should be in the upper or surface layers of the pavement.

The original objectives of ELLPAG can be stated chronologically as short-term, medium term and long-term objectives:

• The short-term objective of the Group is to produce within 12 months of starting the formal project a State-of-the-art Review of current European knowledge on the design and maintenance of long-life fully flexible pavements.

• The medium-term objectives are to produce similar State-of-the-art Reviews for the other common pavement types.

• The long-term objective is to produce a user-friendly comprehensive Best Practice Guidance note on long-life pavement design and maintenance for all the common types of pavement construction used in Europe.

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Lavoc has carried out for many year research projets in the specific area of pavement design, pavement performance modelling and long life pavements. The following research projets:
• COST 343 STEERING COMMITTEE, Reduction in road closure by improved pavement maintenance procedures, final report. COST 343 (2003).
• TURTSCHY J.-C. & AL, COST 343 Reduction in road closures by improved pavement maintenance procedures : ‘work package 2 - procedural options’. LAVOC (novembre 2002).
• TURTSCHY J.-C., Expériences américaines sur les chaussées en béton et les chaussées à structure composite béton bitumineux/béton de ciment. LAVOC (mai 2002).
• Dumont A.-G., Schwery B., Angst Ch. Planches comparatives avec bitumes modifies et ajouts. OFROU. Septembre 2002
• Perret J., Dumont A.-G., Turtschy J.-C., Ould-Henia M. Evaluation des performances de nouveaux ma-tériaux de revêtement: 1ère partie: enrobés à haut module.OFROU. Décembre 2001
• Dumont A.-G., Turtschy J.-C.,Pucci T., Fontana M. Analyse des modèles de comportement des chaus-sées. OFROU. Juillet 2001
• Perret J., A1 Genève - Lausanne. Estimation de la durée de vie du renforcement d'une structure à partir de mesures de déformations in situ. Canton de Vaud, Service des routes, routes nationales. Mars 2001
• Perret J., N9 Sierre Ouest-Sierre Est. Estimation de la durée de vie de la structure par mesures des dé-formations in situ. Canton du Valais DTEE. Janvier 2001
• Dumont A-G., Turtschy J-C., Pucci Th., Autoroute N9, planches comparatives avec bitumes modifiés et ajouts, étude économique, rapport final. Mai 2000.
• DUMONT A.-G., BEAUVERD J., TURTSCHY J.-C., Influence de la forme des granulats sur les caractéristiques d'un béton bitumineux, 2ème partie. OFROU (1998).
• Dumont A.-G., Huet M., Simond E. (LAVOC) & Schwery B. Aebersold S. (Service des routes nationa-les - Canton du Valais) & Angst C. (VSS). Planches comparatives avec bitumes modifiés et ajouts. Rapport OFR 313. Octobre 1994.
• Dumont A.-G., Recordon E., Salhi A., Gueye I. Validation expérimentale des lois de comportement de matériaux hydrocarbonés et de sols. Rapport OFR 327. Septembre 1994.
• DUMONT A.-G., HUET M., TURTSCHY J.-C., SIMOND E., Influence de la forme des granulats sur les caractéristiques d'un béton bitumineux. OFROU (octobre 1992).

The original objectives of ELLPAG can be stated chronologically as short-term, medium term and long-term objectives:
• The short-term objective of the Group is to produce within 12 months of starting the formal project a State-of-the-art Review of current European knowledge on the design and maintenance of long-life fully flexible pavements.
• The medium-term objectives are to produce similar State-of-the-art Reviews for the other common pavement types.
• The long-term objective is to produce a user-friendly comprehensive Best Practice Guidance note on long-life pavement design and maintenance for all the common types of pavement construction used in Europe.

Phase 1:
An initial 12 month programme for Phase 1 of the work of the ELLPAG Group was proposed, for the definition of the state-of-the-art on the subject of Long-Life Fully Flexible Pavements in Europe and clarify what future work is needed in this field in order to develop Best Practice Guidance on the subject. A Gannt chart for this phase of the research project showing all the tasks is provided in Annex. T

Phase 2 and Phase 3:
A 9 month programme for Phase 2 of the work of the ELLPAG Group is proposed, which would both define the state-of-the-art on the subject of Long-Life Semi-Rigid Pavements in Europe and clarify what future work is needed in this field in order to develop the ultimate Best Practice Guidance on the subject. A further 12 month programme for Phase 3 of the work of the ELLPAG Group is proposed that would commence on completion of Phase 2. This phase would both define the state-of-the-art on the subject of Long-Life Rigid Pavements in Europe and clarify what future work is needed in this field in order to develop Best Practice Guidance on the subject. A Gantt chart for these phases of the research project showing all the tasks is provided in Annex

his Programme of work wich was initiated in August 2002 will have 3 deliverables:
- D1: State-of-the-art Review of Long-Life Fully Flexible Pavements in Europe.
- D2: A Guide to the Use of Fully-Flexible and Semi-Rigid Long-Life Pavements in Europe.
- D3: A Guide to the Use of Long-Life Pavements in Europe.

This research aims at defining the state-of-the-art on the subject of Long-Life Semi-Rigid Pavements in Europe and clarify what future work is needed in this field in order to develop the ultimate Best Practice Guidance on the subject. Therefore, the information that will be gathered and included in the 3 deliverables D1 to D3 can be teh core information for the standardisation of so-called long-life pavements. However, the work of ELLPAG is likely to lead to proposals for further research for which additional funding, from a variety of sources, would be sought.