Performance of recycled asphalt pavement in gravel roads

As more Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) becomes available to use in roadways, The Wyoming T2/LTAP Center and two Wyoming Counties investigated the use of RAP in gravel roads. The Wyoming DOT and the Mountain-Plains Consortium funded this study. The investigation explored the use RAP as a means of dust suppression on gravel roads while considering road serviceability. Several test sections were constructed in two Wyoming Counties and were monitored for dust loss using the Colorado State University Dustometer. Surface distress evaluations of the test sections were performed following a technique developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Special Report 92-26: Unsurfaced Road Maintenance Management. The data collected were summarized and statistically analyzed. The performance of RAP sections was compared with the performance of gravel control sections. This comparison allowed for fundamental conclusions and recommendations to be made for RAP and its ability for dust abatement. It was found that RAP-incorporated gravel roads can reduce dust loss without adversely affecting the road's serviceability. Other counties and agencies can expand on this research to add another tool to their toolbox for dust control on gravel roads.