Evaluation of performance of stress-absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI) using accelerated pavement testing

Abstract

This study examines the performance of stress-absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI) under traffic loading. Accelerated pavement test facility at the University of Nottingham was used for the study. It involves construction and trafficking of a pavement with sections having SAMI and without SAMI. The study indicates that the SAMI is able to delay reflective cracking. It shows that the performance of the SAMI depends on the thickness of the SAMI and the interface bonding between the overlay and the SAMI. Also, it reveals that when SAMI is used between an existing cracked pavement and an overlay, the interface shear stiffness of the overlay and SAMI plays a role in isolating the overlay from the relative deflection of the cracked underlying layer due to traffic loading.

Keywords:

• crack
• traffic
• reflective cracking
• overlay
• SAMI

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Nigeria that sponsored the study.