Stone mastic asphalt (SMA) came to Australia from Europe in the early 1990s, around the same time that it was introduced to the USA and Canada, with expectations that it combined good surface texture and low-noise characteristics with rut resistance and durability. While SMA and its variations now dominate asphalt surfacing types used in Europe and the United Kingdom as well as being used extensively in other parts of the world, asphalt surfacing types developed for cool European climates and heavily bound pavement types do not necessarily translate directly into warm climates or readily adapt to use as thin surfacings on flexible granular pavements. SMA projects have now been in service in Australia for periods of up to ten years. Experience has been mostly positive, however, some problems have been encountered and the additional manufacturing and placement requirements of SMA compared to dense graded asphalt have resulted in extensive research and development with inputs from German and US experts. This paper provides an update on the development of local guidelines and specifications and some of the learning experiences in adapting the SMA concepts to the Australian operating environment. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. 0612AR242E.
Samenvatting