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NRRA Preventive Maintenance Team

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MnROAD | NRRA | Structure & Teams | Preventive Maintenance Team

Spray on Rejuvenator Test Section

Objective

The objective of this study is to evaluate the long-term field performance of spray on rejuvenator products in a cold climate.

Summary

The NRRA Preventative Maintenance team is developing a detailed study of spray applied rejuvenators on hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavement. The PM team is soliciting an open call for spray rejuvenator products to participate in this study which will likely generate national interest. The spray rejuvenator suppliers will be required to donate their product to the study and coordinate the application during the allotted week in summer 2020. MnDOT has identified several locations for the field sections in St. Michael, MN, near the MnROAD facility. The study will consist of MnDOT assisting with initial construction of field sections and providing long-term field monitoring with equipment from the MnROAD facility. A consultant will be hired (through a MnDOT RFP) to perform laboratory testing, analyze the performance from the laboratory and field sections, and ultimately provide a report with potential specification recommendations. Test sections will range between 500-1000 feet depending on the number of materials that are donated. A technical advisor panel (TAP) has been created under the NRRA PM Team and meets regularly to provide direction for the project. The TAP consists of members from agency, industry, and academia to create a study that is beneficial to all stakeholders.

Tasks

The following outlines the work expected to take place for a successful outcome. MnDOT through NRRA will lead / assist on tasks 1-4, material supplier’s task-4 and a NRRA funded RFP will contract a research group to accomplish tasks 4-10.

Task 1: Project overall coordination

MnDOT will serve as the overall project lead and work with NRRA members and material suppliers to coordinate the project. TAP meetings will be coordinated, RFP contract will be done, and construction location will be selected from a nearby city (5-10 miles from MnROAD).

  • Task Leader: MnDOT
  • Start Date: January 1, 2020
  • End Date: December 31, 2023
  • Deliverable(s): TAP meetings and coordination of the RFP researcher.

Task 2: Pre-construction coordination

MnDOT will work with NRRA members, the TAP, and Industry to determine which rejuvenators will be used in this project, work with the city where the installations will be done and determine “acceptable quality” by looking up construction records and doing lab testing on cores before construction. Field sections will then be established and sampling will be done before construction so a baseline of the asphalt mix can be established later in terms of the laboratory testing that is outlined in the RFPs received/awarded. Initial monitoring will be done related to distress surveys, ride measurements, and friction. Exact activities will be approved by
the TAP.

  • Task Leader: MnDOT
  • Start Date: January 1, 2020
  • End Date: July 31, 2020
  • Deliverable(s): Test section will be established, initial sampling, and monitoring will be documented.

Task 3: Long-term monitoring and sampling

MnDOT will work with the TAP to develop and carry out a monitoring plan for the duration of the project. This long-term monitoring consist of both pavement performance items (ride, distress, friction (DFT, Texture scanner, CTM, Skid Trailer), reflectivity, and other properties (identified in the TAP developed work plan) but also sampling of materials needed for the researcher to determine chemical properties of the asphalt aging. Data and samples will be provided to the contractor that receives the research RFP.

  • Start Date: May 1, 2020
  • End Date: ongoing as needed
  • Deliverable(s): Data will be supplied to the researcher as it is requested.

A researcher will be selected using a MnDOT RFP process. The tasks are expected to include the following basic tasks below but may change depending on the selected researcher. More details will be included in the winning RFP. Task 4 is a shared activity with MnDOT and the RFP researcher.

Task 4: Product installation

MnDOT will work with the TAP and Material Suppliers on this task. Suppliers will provide rejuvenator product, equipment, staff, and traffic control to place their materials both during the pretesting of equipment/applications but also on the field section(s). MnDOT will provide locations for both equipment/application calibrations and the city application (field sections) will be less than 10 miles from MnROAD.

Suppliers will be encouraged to work together to minimize costs related to construction. The TAP and Suppliers will be tasked to establish acceptable equipment/application processes that will be used and how to handle acceptable minimum friction requirements after application. Individual suppliers will determine their own application rates. Suppliers are responsible for surface prep of the field section, furnishing and installing the product, and monitoring the cure. Suppliers will be required to retreat/fix sections, at their own cost, that fall below a minimum friction value within 1 week from the time of the application. The details of the friction requirement and construction logistics will be worked out in the TAP meetings leading up to construction.

  • Start Date: August 1, 2020
  • End Date: September 1, 2020
  • Deliverable(s): Construction of the test sections.

Task 5: Construction report

MnDOT along with the Researcher will develop a construction report documenting the activities during construction. The report will not go into detail on the initial performance monitoring or laboratory testing. The RFP researcher will be responsible for the writing of this report.

  • Start Date: August 1, 2020
  • End Date: December 31, 2020
  • Deliverable(s): Construction report.

Task 6: Review and discussion of similar projects

Detailed review of other rejuvenator test decks and lab projects. How will this one be different and not repeat other work. Coordinate with the NRRA PM Synthesis author(s) team.

  • Start Date: September 1, 2020
  • End Date: February 28, 2021
  • Deliverable(s): Detailed preliminary report on what products have been tested and what test will likely be run. Assess whether this project needs to continue. A 1-2 hour Skype meeting to discuss all the findings.

Task 7: Laboratory Testing

The RFP will outline the objectives of testing that will be needed for this task. MnDOT will collect samples and provide traffic control as needed.

  • Start Date: July 1, 2020
  • End Date: July 31, 2020
  • Deliverable(s): TBD

Task 8: Yearly Update Reporting

Each year a summary report will be developed outlining the project and the findings. This will include construction details, laboratory testing, and monitoring observations.

  • Start Date: July 1, 2020
  • End Date: July 31, 2020
  • Deliverable(s): Expected to include monitoring yearly reports due each July 2021, 2022, 2023.

Task 9: Draft final report

Draft final report, including any results for 2023 testing.

  • Start Date: April 1, 2023
  • End Date: April 30, 2023
  • Deliverable(s): Draft of final report.

Task 10: Final report

  • Start Date: May 1, 2023
  • End Date: June 30, 2023
  • Deliverable(s): ADA compliant final report.

Project team

Technical Liaison: Michael Vrtis, MnDOT
Project Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) – email the TAP

  • Kelly Bengtson, NDSU
  • Andy Bennett, Michigan DOT
  • Eshan Dave, UNH
  • Mark Gawedzinski, Illinois DOT
  • Clark Moe, MnDOT
  • MK Kang, WisDOT
  • Phillip Ruffus, MoDOT
  • Joel Ulring, MnDOT
  • Michael Vrtis, MnDOT

Related materials

Final report

Expected June 2023