COMPARISON AND DEFINITION OF STATE DOT'S PRACTICES IN SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR PAVEMENTS

This report presents the details of a study conducted to review the Ohio Department of Transportation's (ODOT's) current pavement material selection practices and suggest improvements where necessary. The study was initiated by ODOT's Office of Materials Management as part of its continuing effort to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of the materials used to construct pavements in Ohio. This report synthesizes the state-of-the-practice review of pavement materials selection procedures and criteria in Ohio and other state DOTs. The study was conducted in three parts: (i) a review of the literature, (ii) a survey of state DOTs, and (iii) a critical review of ODOT practices, including recommendations for improvement. The results of the literature review and the survey of the states (presented as an interactive computer database) will primarily be of interest to the ODOT technical staff who are involved in the day-to-day details of the materials selection process. The critical review of ODOT's practices will be of interest to ODOT managers responsible for charting the future course of the program. No significant changes in ODOT's material selection procedures are needed. Indeed, a review of ODOT's procedures, in comparison to the practices presented in the published literature and described in a survey of state agencies (conducted as a part of this study), conveys an extremely positive impression, which reflects favorably upon the department as a whole. The Office of Materials Management provides necessary support services and at the same time constantly strives to identify areas in need of improvement. The principal recommendations of the study are that two asphalt materials (foamed asphalt and warm mix asphalt), several recycled materials, and an improved aggregate test procedure (the Micro Deval procedure) be further evaluated to determine their potential for providing better performing and/or more economical Ohio pavements.