Performance Evaluation of Studded Tire Ruts for Asphalt Mix Designs in a Cold Region Environment

Abstract

Studded tire wear is one of the most important contributing factors that govern pavement life on high traffic volume roads in south-central Alaska. It has been estimated that the annual cost to repair damage caused by studded tires in Alaska is approximately $13.7 million. Polymer modified asphalt binders and hard aggregate are commonly used in mix designs in the State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities projects in an attempt to resist studded tire wear. This research provides a field performance-based analysis of the use of hard aggregate and polymer modified binders related to the reduction of the impact of studded tire wear. To analyze the performance of modification in asphalt mix designs, roadway data was gathered from the Alaska Department of Transportation Pavement Management System Database and roads were grouped into deterioration families based on mix design properties. Relationships of each deterioration are presented to show cumulative average annual daily traffic versus total rut depth, comparing mix designs with and without hard aggregate and polymer modification. Findings indicated that both polymer modification and hard aggregate can be used to reduce the impact of studded tire wear. The benefits of polymer modification and hard aggregate proved more significant as cumulative traffic volumes increase. Recommendations from the performance analysis included continuing the use of hard aggregate and polymer modified binders on Alaskan roadways with continuous research on the use of more highly modified asphalt binders to further reduce the impact of studded tire wear.