Introduction

In 1996, the Ohio Board of Regents awarded Ohio University and The Ohio State University $1.35 million for construction of an enclosed accelerated pavement load facility (APLF) for testing full-scale sections of highway pavement. Additional funding was provided by the universities themselves. The Lancaster campus of Ohio University was selected as the site for the APLF because of its location midway between the two universities, and its proximity to the Ohio Department of Transportation, local material industries, and Port Columbus International Airport.

Features

The loading mechanism in the environmentally controlled chamber of the Accelerated Pavement Load facility helps ORITE researchers evaluate the effects of various environmental conditions, materials, and load levels on a variety of pavement structures. By applying repeated loads over sections of pavement under rigidly controlled conditions, overall relative performance can be assessed much earlier and with much greater confidence than observing test sections constructed on in-service pavements. The APLF has several attributes which set it apart from similar facilities in the U.S. and around the world. Major features include:

• Asphalt and Portland cement concrete testing capability
• Full Width Capacity for two, 12-foot wide adjacent lanes with 4 and 10 foot shoulders, and 8-foot deep pit for construction of the desired base and subgrade.
• Full access for construction equipment to place pavements in accordance with standard highway specifications.
• Multiple test paths across the 24-foot wide pavement.
• Broad loading versatility with the ability to use various wheel loading configurations, loads from 9,000 lbs to 30,000 lbs and optional random lateral wander of the loaded wheel(s).
• Full environmental control within the enclosed test facility to regulate air temperature and humidity. Moisture also can be added to the subsurface pavement structure.
• Optional instrumentation to monitor pavement response to environmental changes and/or dynamic loading.

Scope

A reciprocating rolling wheel load mechanism is used to test rigid and flexible pavements. The wheel assembly travels at 5 mph while testing in one or both directions, and with optional random lateral wheel wander of up to +/- 10 inches. The 38-foot wide pit permits testing at several locations across a full-scale pavement facility. Large sliding doors at both ends of the building allow the entrance of standard paving equipment to place the pavement as it would normally be constructed in the field. Experience gained on the Ohio SHRP Test Pavement and other pavements around Ohio will facilitate the instrumentation of test pavements to monitor environmental conditions, and response within the pavement structure resulting from environmental changes ad dynamic loading.

The APLF offers considerable flexibility in testing pavements. Not only can different pavement, base, and subgrade materials be tested and compared under known conditions, the heavy duty loading mechanism permits the evaluation of various tire configurations and load levels on performance. Environmental changes can be superimposed to determine the effect of temperature gradients in flexible pavement, and the effect of temperature and humidity gradients on curing, curling and warping, joint load transfer, and dowel bar performance in rigid pavement.

Projects utilizing the APLF include studies of ultrathin concrete, verification of three-dimensional pavement models, dowel bars, materials, and other aspects of flexible and rigid pavement structures.

Facility Specifications

Contact Information

For further information please contact:

Dr. Shad Sargand 
Associate Director, ORITE
141 Stocker Center
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
(740) 593-2476
(740) 593-0625 Fax

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