Interconversion of Laboratory Measured

Modulus Results to Field Modulus and

Strain

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Conversion of Lab to Field

Have we been doing it right for 40 years?
Dynamic modulus is a angular frequency test
Thickness has no effect on strain
Modulus should be determined as function of strain time not
stress

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Background
APS-fL has developed a database of Australian
dynamic modulus results
Conversion between lab and field is required
This conversion is required for final recommendations
on use of database
No recommended method which has been validated
against field modulus and strain

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Data Requirements
No data exist in Australia to currently do the
conversion
NCAT extensive database of laboratory modulus,
field modulus and strain
Link has been established between AAPA database
and NCAT testing

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Time Frequency Conversion

Angular Frequency 1/ = 1/2t
Pulse frequency 1/t
Angular frequency historically used in binders
Pulse historically in some asphalt research

The debate about which conversion to use for

dynamic modulus test is not resolved
AAPA will ignore the debate and subsequent complex
mathematics and instead determine a direct
conversion based on actual data

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Calibration Plan
Process
Calibrate Frequency
Interconversion
Stage 1- Calibrate lab field
modulus interconversion

Data Source

FWD Data NCAT

Calibrate Temperature Profile

Validate findings with
WesTrack and MnRoads

FWD WesTrack and

MnRoads

Stage 2- Calibrate
frequency under moving
load

Calibrate load pulse width

Calibrate effect of frequency
with depth

NCAT |E*| and strain

Stage 3- Validate multilayer asphalt

Validate Multi-layer results

NCAT |E*| and strain

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Effective Modulus
Multi layer pavements need to be combined to
equivalent single layer
Combine individual dynamic test results by:
(=1)1/3==11/3

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Section S9 Analysis

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All NCAT Sections

=1/
Tave = atmid + b

k = 2

a = 1
b = 2

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Validation Against MnRoads

Stress
Dependency

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FWD to Dynamic Modulus

FWD are identical to in dynamic modulus results at a
frequency of 5.3Hz
Effective Temperature is 2oC higher than mid-layer
temperature
Dynamic modulus needs to be shifted 2 on the
frequency axis to model stain under a field loading
pulse

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Load with Depth for Moving Load (Stress

Pulse)
=0.50.20.94

Brown Average loading

time throughout layer
CalMe distribution with
depth

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Validation of Brown Approach

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Validation of CalMe Approach

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Stress Based Approaches

Underestimate Strain
Underestimate of loading time
Overestimate of modulus

9 thickness layers closer to line of equality

Is thickness that important?

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Unconstrained Optimisation
=+/

a =1.8m
b = 0

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Frequency With Speed and Depth

(Optimised)
Thickness has no influence on dynamic modulus
frequency
Load Pulse is 1.8m long
Contrary to (Austroads, Brown, CalMe and ME guide)
strain pulse should be used, not the current stress
pulse modelling approach.

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Frequency With Speed and Depth

(Optimised)
Coffman 1967
a vehicle acts as a cyclic load with a wave length of 6 feet
using higher frequencies in the upper most layer and lower
frequencies for the lower layers does not appear justified

The use of a Strain pulse appears more accurate

than the current use of the Stress pulse

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NCAT Time of Loading

Time of approx. 0.1
to 0.9 sec
Length of approx. 1.8
to 2m

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Multi Layer Optimisation

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Conclusions and Recommendations

A constant frequency should be used regardless of
asphalt thickness for a given vehicle speed
Strain can accurately be predicted using an
equivalent single asphalt layer
The use of Multi-layers in the Layer Elastic Code
offers no benefit over a single effective layer
Do we need to use multi layer asphalts?
More work is required for sublayer and the temperature
with depth profile

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