HVS-Nordic. The activity of the second period in Finland 2000-2003

An accelerated pavement testing facility, Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) MARK IV, was bought from South Africa. It is owned on a 50/50 basis by Finland – the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) and the Finnish National Road Administration (Finnra) – and Sweden – the Swedish Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI). HVS-NORDIC was used in Finland during 1997–98 (the first period) and 2000–02 (the second period) and in Sweden 1998–2000. A six-year period of research collaboration from 1997 to 2003 was agreed upon. The co-operation was originally organised on three levels; steering, programme and operative groups. Since 2001, the programme and operative groups have been united in one group. During the second period in Finland 18 tests were carried out in 5 different studies. The objectives in these studies were to examine the effects of reinforcement (steel grids, tests 11–13) and lightweight material (tests 14 and 15, expanded polystyrene EPS) on pavement behaviour. Tests 16–20 concentrated on the effect of steepness of sideslope on rutting (two slope inclinations + one without slope). The effect of the spring and overload on rutting (two load / two water table levels) were tested in tests 21–23. The effect of reinforcing the edge on a steep-sloped, rehabilitated pavement was studied in tests 24–29. All the tested pavements represented low-volume roads and had thin (nominal thickness 50 mm) bituminous layers or rehabilitated layers. The common objective for all these second period tests was to study the permanent deformations of unbound layers. The data from the tested constructions, observations and measurements were stored in the joint Finnish – Swedish database for all the partners to use. All the Finnish data from tests in the first and second HVS period in Finland have been checked, corrected, analysed and stored in the database. The periodic report includes a summary of each test made during the period the HVS-NORDIC was located in Finland. In addition, the report includes a discussion of the experiences with the tests. The test plans and actual situation, and whether the testing went according to plan, are also discussed. The aim of the report is more informative than scientific.