Improving the resistance of asphalt pavements against cracking with an Interlayer: A comprehensive review

Asphalt concrete overlays are used for flexible or rigid road pavements when their function or structure deteriorates and exceeds an unacceptable extent. The life span of asphalt overlay decreases markedly if the old pavement that goes under rehabilitation is subjected to intense cracking. What causes this is the spread of the cracks in the old pavement onto the surface of the asphalt overlay; a phenomenon which is called reflective cracking. Despite the fact that reflective cracking is the most frequent mechanism of failure in rehabilitated pavements, its effect is usually overlooked in the design of overlays. A lack of understanding of the mechanical behavior of reinforced asphalt overlays is the primary reason behind this attitude, which can lead to imprecise design solutions. This paper first aims to review different aspects of mechanical interaction between geosynthetic material and asphalt overlay. Afterwards, essential considerations need to be considered in the design procedure to obtain an efficient reinforced-rehabilitated bituminous pavement structure are discussed.