Goubert L.

In 2000 a 500 m test section of two layer porous asphalt has been constructed on a secondary road in the rural village of Bambois, Belgium, which is the only section of this road type constructed in this country so far. The top layer has been replaced in 2002, due to excessive raveling. There have been carried out a number of “initial” tests after the renewal of the top layer in 2002, like the resistance to raveling, the composition of the asphalt mix and the evenness. Moreover, an intensive follow up program has since then been carried out, and some tests have been repeated periodically after the initial test. The development of the visual damage, skidding resistance, texture, noise, sound absorption, density and drainability has been determined. The behavior of the section under winter conditions has also been observed, as well as the effect of a cleaning of the surface. In the present contribution, an overview of the behavior during these 3 years of experience of the acoustical and non acoustical parameters will be given. One found an evolution of the noisiness of the experimental section, which will be explained by means of the results of the texture and the absorption measurement data.