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Abstract: The use of gecomposite incorporating multiaxial geogrid and non-woven fabric of high bitumen retention in asphalt overlays results in the increase of life of the designed pavement structure. Such an approach can offer an opportunity to increase the fatigue life (higher traffic capacity) without the need to increase asphalt overlay thickness or to reduce the thickness of asphalt overlay without reduction of pavement life eventually. This concept results in both economic and environmental benefits. This paper presents the laboratory testing results of the fatigue life of double-layered asphalt specimens with geocomposite used directly in the pavement structure fatigue life calculations. Fatigue testing was performed in the scheme of four-point bending tests (4PB) of large beams in the controlled strain mode - both for reinforced and control specimens. Based on the results obtained, one can conclude that the rated multiaxial geocomposite has a clear and positive effect on asphalt overlay performance and thus has an evident potential to extend the asphalt pavement fatigue life. This paper also presents a slightly modified concept of the Mechanistic-Empirical pavement design method based on fatigue improving factors derived from the laboratory test investigation, allowing reinforcement benefits to be implemented into the design process. Finally, an example of the calculation of reconstructed asphalt pavement with the enhancement of the asphalt overlay reinforced by geocomposite is also presented.
