Abstract:
Flushing is a major cause of maintenance on chipsealed pavements in New Zealand. Accurate understanding of flushing can have a significant impact in terms of predicting future maintenance needs, expenditure, and performance of pavements. Currently available literature does not provide sufficient information to gain a mechanistic understanding of this defect. Therefore, developing a flushing forecasting model remains a priority for the road asset management sector in New Zealand. The reported research aimed to develop a mechanistic understanding of the processes involved with the flushing defect. The study primarily focused on identifying methods that can be used to investigate the particular mechanisms causing flushing on pavements based on network level data. Twenty five pavement sites on state highways of Napier/ Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand were identified, with top surface lives ranging from three to nine years. Historical pavement data from these sites were analysed and the results combined with analysis of Long-Term Pavement Performance data to identify the main mechanisms causing flushing on chipsealed pavements. Surface depth and roughness were found to have the greatest influence on flushing, while surface texture measured by sand circles was found to be a satisfactory indicator of probable flushed chipseals. It is intended that these findings will contribute to the development of the flushing forecasting model for chipsealed pavements in New Zealand.