SCDOT Receives 2016 APA Perpetual Pavement Award

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WINS 2016 PERPETUAL PAVEMENT AWARD

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) announced on April 10 that the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has won a 2016 Perpetual Pavement Award for a three-mile section of Interstate Route 26 in Berkeley County. This is SCDOT’s sixth Perpetual Pavement award in 13 years.

 

To qualify for this prestigious award, a pavement must be at least 35 years old and never had a structural failure. The average interval between resurfacing of each winning pavement must be no less than 12 years. The pavement must demonstrate the characteristics expected from long-life asphalt pavements: excellence in design, quality in construction and value for the traveling public. 

 

Engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) evaluated the nominations and validated the winners.

The award-winning section of Interstate 26 runs from Jedburg Road (MM 194.4) to Sheep Island Road (MM 197). SCDOT originally built the pavement between 1962 and 1963 with an 8-inch-thick sand asphalt base containing relatively high asphalt content. 

 

With this resilient, fatigue-resistant base the road structure has required maintenance only two times in 53 years. In October 1983 SCDOT resurfaced the road with 1.36 inches of a hot mix asphalt (HMA) surface course and .68 inches of an HMA seal course. In March 1994, crews milled 3.5 inches from the road and replaced that pavement with 2.14 inches of asphalt concrete and 1.59 inches of a surface course. The only other work done on this section of road was to address the geometrical and safety aspects of the pavement and not to increase its structural capacity.

 

"Although the concepts of perpetual pavement were not known at the time that Interstate 26 was designed, this pavement was built with an 8-inch thick HMA sand asphalt base containing relatively high asphalt content," said Jay Thompson, P.E., SCOT pavement design engineer. "We believe this design resulted in a resilient, fatigue-resistant base that follows the perpetual pavement concept.

 

"In many respects, we feel that Interstate 26 is not only special, but represents the typical long-lasting, low-maintenance flexible pavements we have built for many years."

 

As a winner of a 2016 Perpetual Award, SCDOT will receive an engraved crystal obelisk, and its name and project will be added to a permanent plaque that is kept at NCAT. 

 

"One of the keys to sustainability is long life," said Amy Miller, P.E., executive director of the Asphalt Pavement Alliance. "Asphalt roads can be engineered to last indefinitely with only routine maintenance and periodic surface renewal. 

 

"The advantages of these perpetual pavements are significant. Life cycle costs are lower because deep pavement repairs and reconstruction are avoided. User delays are reduced because minor surface rehabilitation requires shorter work windows and can avoid peak traffic hours. And there are environment benefits because minimal rehabilitation, combined with recycling any materials that are removed from the pavement surface, reduces the amount of material resources required over the pavement’s life." 

 

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance is a coalition of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the Asphalt Institute and the state asphalt pavement associations. The Asphalt Pavement Alliance's mission is to establish asphalt as the preferred choice for quality, performance and the environment. 

 

 

 

SCAPA presented the 2016 Perpetual Pavement Award to SCDOT at the SC Highway Engineers Conference on April 10. Pictured left to right: Todd Steagall, Christy Hall, Tim Henderson, Jayson Jordan, Ashley Batson, Eric Carroll, Jay Thompson, and Leland Colvin. Photo Credit: SCDOT Photographer Rob Thompson