Stone mastic asphalt (SMA) pavements were first built in the United
States in 1991 using technology obtained from Europe. It was determined,
however, that significant differences exist in the aggregate properties
and mix design methods used. ln addition, differences in the plant
production methods and in the laydown and compaction procedures
are present. This resulted in a number of problems in constructing
the stone mastic asphalt pavements that are discussed. To date,
after up to six years of service under traffic, the performance
of the SMA pavements has been excellent.