Flow Number parameter as a performance criteria for asphalt mixtures rutting: evaluation to mixes applied in Brazil Southern region.

The present paper presents the rutting evaluation of different asphalt mixtures in use in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil's southernmost-region, through the uniaxial repeated load test and the monitoring of mixtures performance in field, culminating in a criteria proposal for the parameter Flow Number depending on traffic. For this, five distinct asphalt binders were studied, five grain size distributions, three warm mixtures and 21 hot mixes, with different mineralogical types of aggregates, and 15 monitored test sites distributed geographically throughout the state. The results indicated that the binder modifications were the most influential characteristics in the asphalt mixtures rutting. Also, it was verified that the Flow Number criteria proposed so far in the country present significant differences. In this way, a new criterion was suggested, and it is possible to infer a good applicability for asphalt concretes, except for warm mixes and those with rubber binder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]