Towards Pavement Milling Specifications

Milling can be defined as a process of removing the pavement surface, and other layers, using drum-mounted carbide steel cutting bits attached to a milling machine. Pavement milling may alter the surface texture of the remaining structure, creating differences from the original surface which can

challenge the application of a smooth overlay and negatively affect the performance of the newly laid pavement. The primary objective of this research was to evaluate pavement damage that may occur during the pavement milling process. To achieve this purpose, the most common milling practices in Indiana were implemented on several trial sections and various damage characterization tests performed in the field and laboratory.

Milling Operation at SR-26

Milling of Existing Asphalt Surface Layer at SR-38

This study investigates how different milling operation speeds impact the integrity of the remaining pavement surface, analyzing mean texture depth (MTD), mean profile depth (MPD), elastic modulus, shear strength, and dynamic modulus before and after milling operations. The research provided a testing methodology to determine if a milling machine was having detrimental effects on the residual pavement and a process to “tune” the particular milling machine to its optimal operational standards to minimize detrimental effects. Finally, this research developed more reliable milling procedures and specifications that can lead to less damage on residual pavements and therefore better pavement performance.

For more information, see the full Technical Report:

Moncada, O. A., Cho, S., Francioso, V., & Haddock, J. E. (2024). Performance-related specifications for pavement milling (Joint Transportation Research Program Publication No. FHWA/IN/JTRP-2024/18). West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University. https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317752