ABSTRACT
The Cause of Pavement Failure in Tropical countries like Nigeria and the factors responsible for best-performance asphaltic concrete surfacing are reviewed. Consequently appropriate laboratory tests consisting of both Marshall and Indirect tensile tests were conducted in order to determine the desirable optimum binder content, which maximises all the desirable properties of good-performance asphaltic concrete. To evaluate the effects of each factor, it's influence on the following performance parameters of asphaltic concrete were measured and monitored:- Marshall stability and stiffness, Indirect tensile strength and compressive modulus of the specimens and compacted density of the mix. The factors considered and varied to appropriate levels for this study included the:- Testing temperature, compactive effort, binder content; and Aggregate gradation; shape and surface texture. It was found out that testing temperature which simulatet the ambient temperature have an adverse effect on the performance of asphaltic concrete. It was also found out that for Nigerian type of climate and traffic loading a high binder content of optimum value of 7% and stone content of Optimum range of (50-6590 are needed for best performance asphaltic concrete.