Performance related quality assurance in pavement construction

In pavement construction and management, there is the need to identify measures in order to guarantee high levels of performance over time. More specifically, QA/QC performance-related specifications (PRS) describe the desired levels of construction quality characteristics correlate with engineering properties that predict as-built pavement performance in order to guarantee the expected performances over the design period. They thus provide the basis for rational acceptance/pay adjustment decisions to be correctly related to actual changes of future maintenance costs. Considering asphalt pavements, numerical simulations were carried out assuming changes in material’s moduli with the aim to develop PRS for QC in pavement construction. Results allowed to estimate effects of construction structural deficits in the perspective of future pavement performance. Basing on Life Cycle Cost Analysis, changes in maintenance costs were estimated.