The purpose of the presentation is to describe the French system of specifications for asphalt mixes, and how it deals with innovative materials. Our system is "performance oriented", and it has been so for the last 15 years. So our experience of the advantages and difficulties of this type of specification can be useful, when SHRP is promoting a similar system in the United States, and when Europe is establishing a European system of standards on asphalt mixes. The system can be more precisely described as "performance related". In some very specific circumstances, a different system is used, which can be characterized as "performance based". For the performance-related system, the general system, the general philosophy of our specifications, the contents of our standards, how the conformity to specifications is verified, how this system was implemented, its advantages and limitations, and how it deals with innovative materials is described. (A)
Samenvatting