Optimised durable pavement rolling resistance

The road-transport sector has a significant impact on energy consumption. A relevant component of this energy usage is associated with rolling resistance (RR) between tires and pavement. In Denmark, CO₂ emissions from road transport alone have been quantified as 4.6 Mt/yr. Replacing standard stone asphalt with durable low-RR pavements is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions up to 1%. The Danish Road Directorate started, back in 2012, optimising a surface layer for reducing RR. The low-RR mixture was designed to provide a durable texture capable to meet all safety requirements. In 2016, two low-RR mixtures and reference asphalt concrete were paved on a test section. To evaluate the texture durability these mixtures were sampled at the construction site and tested with a circular road tester. The results show that the durability of low-RR pavements can be enhanced by using premodified binder, which reduces changes in texture properties and increases rutting resistance.