Relationship Between Timber Bridge Characteristics and Asphalt Pavement Wear Surface Performance: Summary

The study revealed that approximately 50 percent of counties experience some problems with premature reduced serviceability of the asphalt pavement wear surfaces that cover their timber bridges. The summary looks at possible pavement failure mechanisms and presents the following proposed solutions for controlling timber bridge asphalt pavement cracking: asphalt pavement saw & seal, asphalt pavement fabric or material underlay, removal of extruded oil-type preservations before surfacing, conditioning of bridge timbers to the expected equilibrium moisture content before bridge installation, and tightening of timber decks through maintenance practices.