Rehabilitation Options and Guidance for Severely Distressed Low-Volume Paved Roads With a Focus on Conversion to Engineered Unpaved Surfaces

Abstract

A large percentage of low-volume paved rural roads in the United States are in a severely distressed state, primarily owing to delayed maintenance because of limited funding. Road agencies are now faced with decisions on what to do with these roads under constrained budgets. Options include closing selected roads completely if more than one road can be used to access properties; converting the distressed paved road to an engineered unpaved road, pulverizing the existing materials to form a new base and applying a surface treatment (e.g., chip seal); or doing a full-depth recycle, potentially with supplemental aggregates, using bituminous or cementitious recycling agents (choice dependent on the properties of the recycled material) and then applying a surface treatment or thin asphalt overlay. Choice will depend on traffic volume, safety concerns, available materials, and available funds. Regardless of the choice, sound engineering procedures should be followed throughout the conversion or rehabilitation process to ensure that funds are used optimally and that the road provides satisfactory performance over its new design life. This paper provides guidance on converting roads to an engineered unpaved standard.