Interstate 86, Angelica and Cuba, NY

A jointed reinforced concrete pavement on I-86 was reconstructed with an asphalt concrete (AC) pavement. The Angelica section is a perpetual pavement design intended to last 40 years or more with only minor resurfacing; the Cuba section is the NYSDOT standard AC design installed as a control. The objective was to monitor the response and performance of the pavement, and both sections had instrumentation to monitor the effects of environmental and dynamic loads.

Data from the typical design section were collected starting in the fall of 2006. Data from the perpetual AC section, which was constructed in September 2008, were collected starting in 2008. Both sections were subjected to wide weather variations and heavy truck loading.

Minor distresses have been observed in the standard design section after 4 years, but none that require immediate attention or reconstruction. No distresses were observed in the perpetual AC design section after three years of service. The strains measured at the bottom of the asphalt generally are below the design limits for perpetual pavements. These results are generally comparable to those obtained in Ohio on other sites monitored by ORITE, and the perpetual pavement design concept is validated.