Field Performance and Cost-Effectiveness of Chip Seals and Asphalt Concrete Overlays with and without Asphalt Concrete Stripping Damage

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of asphalt concrete (AC) stripping damage on the field performance and cost-effectiveness (CE) of chip seals and AC overlays in pavement maintenance and rehabilitation. To achieve this objective, in-service pavement sections were selected from the Louisiana pavement management system (LaPMS) database and the presence of moisture damage was confirmed through the visual inspection of extracted cores. Sections were categorized according to traffic volume and their pavement condition index before treatment (PCI-). Road sections in each group were then divided into two groups as stripped and non-stripped sections. The average deterioration rate (ADR), extension in pavement service life (Delta PSL), average condition improvement over the treatment service life (PI), and CE were compared for stripped and non-stripped sections. Results showed that for chip seal sections, moisture damage negatively affected the performance of the sections with PCI- < 80 and low traffic volumes. For sections with PCI- > 80, similar performance was observed for stripped and non-stripped sections. For AC overlays, moisture-induced damage significantly affected the long-term pavement performance at all traffic levels. On average, moisture-induced damage decreased Delta PSL, PI, and CE of AC overlays by 5 years, 24%, and 0.5%, respectively. Overall, results of the study demonstrated that moisture damage has a significant effect on the performance of chip seal and AC overlay. Therefore, it is critical to identify and repair stripped sections before the maintenance and rehabilitation of in-service pavements to ensure adequate performance and optimum CE.