Pavement rehabilitation by using an asphalt reinforcement grid made of high modulus polyester

The conventional rehabilitation method for cracked concrete or asphalt pavements is the plain installation of new asphalt layers. As cracks are still present in the existing (old) asphalt layers, they rapidly propagate into the new asphalt overlay due to external forces from traffic and natural temperature variations. This phenomenon, called reflective cracking, is already well known and well documented by a lot of research all over the world. To delay reflective cracking and therefore to prolong the service life of a pavement, an asphalt reinforcement made of high modulus Polyester fibres has proven to be a very effective solution. The considerable extension of pavement life has been successfully demonstrated in different applications such as roads, highways and airports. Through basic theory and practical experiences this paper describes the successful performance of polyester grids as anti-reflective crack system and why it is a very well suited raw material for the reinforcement of asphalt pavements. Special attention is therefore given to the performance on site, such as the installation process, but also to milling of reinforced asphalt and its recycling.