UTW: TEST SECTION AT VILVOORDE ON THE R22 IN BELGIUM

Abstract

UTW (Ultra Thin Whitetopping) is a very recent and innovative application to repair a degraded asphalt pavement. The repair technique tries to bond the two layers (overlay in concrete and lower lying asphalt pavement) to obtain a composite structure. The technique consists of milling off the rutted asphalt layer in a suitable thickness and covering it with a thin cement concrete layer (< 15 cm) that bonds perfectly with the underlying asphalt layer. UTW is characterised by a good bonding between concrete and asphalt and by the short distances between the joints (between 0.60 and 1.80 m). For the first time in Flanders, a test section was carried out near the intersection of the Woluwelaan with the Houtemsesteenweg at Vilvoorde. A survey of the existing pavement, the project, the successive construction phases as well as the most important points of particular interest are described in this article.