Tender Advertisement #1223976

PURPOSE:
The purpose of this project is to improve the cost effectiveness of asphalt pavements by developing asphalt modulus and fatigue design relationships based on laboratory testing data for use in the pavement structural design that reflects the performances of current Australian and New Zealand asphalt mixes.
For over 30 years the Austroads Guide to Pavement Technology Part 2: Pavement Structural Design (AGPT02) has utilised the Shell laboratory fatigue relationship developed about 40 years ago based on testing of European mixes. Current Australian and New Zealand asphalt mixes are significantly different from these European mixes, including a wider range of bituminous binders and significant amounts of reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP).
The objective of this project, Stage 1, is to determine the relationship at 20ºC between actual Australian and New Zealand asphalt modulus and fatigue performance test results with the currently adopted Shell presumptive asphalt modulus and fatigue values of standard binders.

SCOPE:
This Stage 1 project is designed to alter pavement design practices in Australia and New Zealand to develop a performance specification for asphalt by replacing the presumptive Shell modulus/fatigue values with asphalt laboratory modulus/fatigue values at 20ºC.
The scope of this project includes:
• Undertaking a literature review of developments of fatigue relationships from laboratory testing (similar to AGPT/T274) of asphalt with standard binders and binders with RAP.
• Collating all existing flexural fatigue and modulus data undertaken at various test protocols and asphalt types from state road agencies and industry using Austroads project APT6123 National harmonisation of test methods used in performance specifications as the basis.
• Separating data into:
o Master curves for modulus and fatigue (similar to TMR TN167)
o Multiple strain/temperature tests
o Multiple strain single temperature tests
o Single strain and temperature data.
Further separation of data for each of the above may include:
o Laboratory and Plant manufactured mixes
o Standard binder, RAP and PMB mixes
o Level of mix duty and mix size
o Other as appropriate.
• Determining Shell presumptive modulus and fatigue values for 20ºC and establish extent of variations based on binder inputs from across Australia and New Zealand.
• Determining relationship (and variation) for modulus and fatigue parameters between Shell and test data for 20ºC for combined and appropriately separated sub groups.
• Examining the repeatability of data to determine appropriateness of the number of asphalt sample beams under AGPT/T274 Characterisation of Flexural Stiffness and Fatigue Performance of Bituminous Mixes to define the fatigue relationship.
• Providing regular updates to the Austroads Pavement Structures Technical Group (PSTG).
• Preparing reports documenting all data, collation of data into categories, comparison with Shell work and determine relationships with recommendations including the need for further testing in specified areas.

DELIVERABLES:
This project will produce the following final deliverables:
• Two data spreadsheets
• Technical report
• A webinar.

Also included as part of this tender are the following documents:
• Instructions for Authors of Austroads Publications which sets out the writing and formatting standards for research, technical and internal reports.
• Master Services Agreement outlining our Terms and Conditions. Please note that our Terms and Conditions are not negotiable.

All submissions are to be submitted as a PDF at a maximum size of 10MB.

All submissions are to include a completed Tender Proposal Coversheet.

The naming convention for submissions is: [your Company name] – [Project No.] – [any internal reference numbers].

All submissions are to include a statement as to how the respondent proposes to undertake the work, and keep to the agreed deadlines, given the current and proposed requirements and restrictions due to COVID-19.