In recent years many works have been done in Poland on application of geotextiles and related products to strengthen existing, cracked asphalt pavement structures. Relatively frequently, besides glass, glass-coal and polyester nets, the pavement reinforcing with steel mesh track (to simplify called later as the steel net) is also met, specially on national roads, trafficked with heavy vehicles. The purpose of the paper is to present the selected experiences gained while renewing and strengthening the national roads in the South of Poland. To these works, the steel mesh track of tensile strength 40/50 kN/m was applied. In the paper some design data were given, among others the subgrade analyses, existing layers system, as well as results of the elastic deflections and modulus, measured with FWD apparatus, on the pavement before and after its strengthening. The concept of the reconstruction works comprised the milling of the upper bituminous layer of 4 cm in thickness, laying the profiling course, installing the steel mesh track and bonding it with slurry seal course to the lower surface. As the overlay, two bituminous layers: 4 cm SMA + 8 ÷ 10 cm AC in thickness were placed. After 3 ÷ 5 years of the service, the measuring of pavement deflection bowl with the FWD was conducted and on the base of it, the estimation of its bearing capacity was carried out. Finally, due to the back analyses using the mechanical-empirical calculations, the profit of applying the steel mesh as the reinforcing interlayer in the system of asphalt layers was proved.

Bearing capacity of pavement; Reinforcement with geotextiles; Steel mesh track; FWD deflections; interlayer system