Federal Highway Research Institute

Inno-Pave

Road surface systems: New materials and inno-vative production and installation technologies

New materials and innovative production and installation technologies for a road surface system.

The photo shows the installation texture layer

Background

The current production of asphalt roads is subject to considerable environmental influences that can cause large variations in quality. These have a decisive influence on the service life and the performance characteristics of the road. In addition, every new construction and maintenance measure requires time, which must be minimized due to the associated traffic congestion. In the Inno-Pave project, a multi-layer road surface layer that can be produced under constant conditions was realized using polymer-based and textile materials.

Concept and project objective

The graph shows the principle of Inno-Pave Principle Inno-Pave

Aim of the project “Road surface systems: New materials and inno-vative production and installation technologies” was to investigate new materials for road surface systems, including the necessary installation and production technologies and processes. Public and industrial research institutions and companies worked together on the project.

The basic research approach was the use of polymer-based materials in combination with textile reinforcement structures. The durability and performance characteristics and in particular the acoustic properties of traditional noise-reducing road surface layers – for example porous asphalt – should be significantly exceeded. The aim was to achieve a permanent noise reducing effect with an extended structural engineering service life.

The top layer is designed in a multi-layer structure in order to meet the requirements of the acoustic properties already known from previous projects. An upper texture layer reduces sound generation, while the absorption layer below additionally reduces noise emissions.

Conclusion

The demonstrator on the duraBASt served to test the effectiveness of the noise-reducing surface layer system.

The paving test on the duraBASt gave an impression of the versatility of the paving method developed within the scope of this research project as well as experience in dealing with building materials unfamiliar to road construction. The demonstrator was used to investigate noise reduction, skid resistance and durability.

The photos show the installation absorbing layer (poroelastic) and the production of texture layer in the factory. Installation absorbing layer (poroelastic) (left) and production of texture layer in the factory

Logos of the project partners