ABSTRACT
Abstract During the previous conferences on "Reflective cracking in pavements" (Liège, 1989 & 1993), papers were presented about thirteen Belgian experiments with geotextiles to avoid reflective cracking in pavements, mostly in overlays on cement concrete pavements. Geotextiles impregnated with polymer-bitumen were covered with a porous or dense asphalt wearing course. Many types of geotextiles were used: nonwoven polyester (manufactured on the jobsite or in a factory), nonwoven polypropylene, woven polyester. Different polymer-bitumens were chosen for the impregnation of the geotextile: bitumen with new elastomers, bitumen with recycled elastomers, emulsion of bitumen with new elastomers. This paper deals with the results of an evaluation of these thirteen test sites. Keywords: Reflective cracking, geotextile, woven, non woven, cement concrete
1 Introduction
At the first RILEM-Conference on "Reflective Cracking in Pavements" in 1989, P. Silence et al. presented a paper in which three experimental sites with woven geotextiles, carried out between 1985 and 1987, were described and evaluated [1]. Four years later, for the second RILEM-Conference on Reflective Cracking of 1993, Y. Decoene reported the results of a second evaluation of these sites, together with the results of ten other projects, carried out by SCREG (Belgium) between 1989 and 1993, where different types of woven and non-woven geotexti les were used for the prevention of reflective cracking [2]. The present paper describes the results of a detailed inspection of these thirteen roads, being exposed now to two to ten years of traffic.
