Approximately 70% of the Queensland state-controlled road network is composed of unbound granular layers with a thin bituminous surfacing. Locally available material sources, climate, environment and traffic conditions are highly variable across the state and standard specifications, such as MRTS05 for unbound pavements, have to ensure reliable performance is achieved in a wide range of applications. In-service deterioration of unbound granular material is one of the leading causes of premature failure for these pavement types. In Queensland, resistance to mechanical and weathering-induced degradation is determined by the wet/dry strength variation and degradation factor methods respectively. However, it has been proposed that the current wet/dry strength variation criteria limits may be too restrictive. The objective of this project was to evaluate the appropriateness of the current criteria limits and the wet/dry strength variation testing method for identifying aggregates that may be susceptible to in-service deterioration.
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