The Construction Technology Centre (CTCON) has been developing the FAPLAB project since 2018. The main objective is to research a methodology to design asphalt mixtures in the laboratory and evaluate/predict the safety of the pavement through its long-term anti-slip behaviour by simulating the action of traffic.
In addition to this main objective, a number of specific scientific and technological objectives have been set and have been achieved within 3 years:
- Formulation of new types of bituminous mixtures for wearing courses with the implementation of new designs based on obtaining more reliable and representative laboratory values of adhesion and friction in aggregates and asphalt mixtures.
- Predicting the skid resistance of asphalt road pavements by laboratory testing
- Reduction of costs associated with road infrastructure maintenance tasks.
- Assessment of the environmental impact and consequently of the sustainability, through life cycle analysis, of these new technological solutions.
In order to achieve such ambitious objectives, and therefore achieve such a significant technological advance, the FAPLAB project has relied on a scientific-technological-business consortium made up of the following companies:
SAOP
COVIAL
MEDITERRANEAN PORPHYRIES
HAVE
CTCON. Project coordinator
In addition, the project has involved the participation of the General Directorate of Roads, the soil mechanics laboratory of the General Directorate of Roads and the laboratory of the Demarcation of the Ministry of Development of the Region of Murcia.
The project has involved several phases of work:
1. Study and investigation of slip resistance measurements of bituminous mixtures in the laboratory.
2. Performance of test sections of the bituminous mixes studied.
3. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and outcome feasibility studies.
The aim of this project is to provide tools for the laboratory design of bituminous mixtures that can predict the evolution of the friction coefficient during the years of service on the road, as well as to have a reliable test to obtain data on friction on roads, in order to be able to act.
This project is financed by the Government of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia through FEDER and RIS3MUR funds.
