A sustainable maintenance method for cracked pavements using polyester asphalt reinforcement: increase pavement life, reduce maintenance and create sustainable pavements

Asphalt reinforcement grids made of high modulus polyester (PET) are widely used and have proven their performance in countless projects worldwide as an effective treatment against reflective cracking in asphalt overlays. The high resistance of polyester against installation damage and dynamic loading combined with an effective interlay bonding and easy installation are key factors for the success of asphalt reinforcement. The good performance of the asphalt reinforcement on the other hand is the basis for the increase of pavement life and thus a sustainable use of resources. This paper will present the positive experience gained over the past 40 years in various major projects inside and outside of Australia: in parallel the latest research in this field will prove the effectiveness of high modulus polyester asphalt reinforcement. Combining the above information will then lead to a comparison of embodied carbon dioxide for different rehabilitation methods showing the sustainability of using polyester asphalt reinforcement to extend pavement life.