Evaluating Rutting Susceptibility of Bituminous Mixes using Indigenously Developed IIT KGP Rut Tester

I. Srinivasa Reddy

doi:10.3759/ttea.v3i2.2857

Abstract

Rutting is the major mode of distress affecting the service life and performance of bituminous pavements. Rutting occurs due to excessive stresses on subgrade, inadequate strength of bituminous mix, inadequate thickness of pavement layers or poor construction methods. Among these causes, quality of bituminous mix is one of the main factors that contribute towards rutting failure. The link between laboratory testing and potential field performance of bituminous mixes is very important to improve the pavement performance. There have been numerous attempts to form this missing link by developing small-scale laboratory equipment and test methods for accelerated and simulative performance testing of bituminous mixes. This paper presents the effect of aggregate gradation and binder content on the rutting susceptibility of bituminous concrete mixes. Details of the IIT KGP rut tester, a laboratory multifunctional wheel rut tester indigenously developed by the transportation engineering section of civil engineering department of Indian institute of technology, Kharagpur, India, are also presented.