Creep Behavior of Asphalt Concrete Core Materials in Embankment Dams under a Stepped Loading Path
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 9
Abstract
Understanding the long-term creep behaviors of asphalt concrete core materials is crucial to the safety of embankment dams. This study systematically analyzes the creep behavior of asphalt concrete materials under a stepped loading path. Static triaxial tests are conducted to determine the stress–strain relation of asphalt concrete core materials. Both stepped loading and separate loading paths are applied on the asphalt concrete samples to analyze the difference between them in terms of the axial strain. To simulate the realistic temperature condition during the operation of dams, the temperature is set to 22.1°C. The test samples are subjected to four confining stresses (i.e., 0.1, 0.4, 0.7, and 1.0 MPa), and the stress levels are 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.8. For processing the test data obtained under the stepped loading path, the Boltzmann superposition method and Chen’s method are applied. Then, the Burgers model is applied to estimate the stress and strain behaviors of the asphalt concrete materials. The results indicate that asphalt concrete materials characterize in primary and secondary creep stages. The data processed by Chen’s method is much closer to the data of separate loading path than those processed by the Boltzmann method. The Burgers model describes well the creep behavior of the asphalt concrete materials. Thus, it can be applied in the estimation and analysis of the creep behaviors for embankment dams under long-term operation.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by Central Public-Interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund (No. CKSF2016034/CQ).
References
Chen, J.-S., C.-T. Lee, and Y.-Y. Lin. 2017. “Influence of engineering properties of porous asphalt concrete on long-term performance.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 29 (4): 04016246. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001768.
Elisabeth, A., L. Roman, and P. Christian. 2009. “Multiscale prediction of viscoelastic properties of asphalt concrete.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 21 (12): 771–780. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2009)21:12(771).
Fang, X.-Q., and J.-Y. Tian. 2018. “Elastic-adhesive interface effect on effective elastic moduli of particulate-reinforced asphalt concrete with large deformation.” Int. J. Eng. Sci. 130 (9): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijengsci.2018.05.007.
Feng, S., W. Wang, K. Hu, and K. HÖeg. 2020. “Stress-strain-strength behavior of asphalt core in embankment dams during construction.” Constr. Build. Mater. 259 (Oct): 119706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.119706.
Gao, H., Y. Chen, H. Liu, J. Liu, and J. Chu. 2012. “Creep behavior of EPS composite soil.” Sci. China Technol. Sci. 55 (11): 3070–3080. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-012-4967-6.
Gaxiola, A., and A. Ossa. 2019. “Hydraulic, volumetric, and mechanical approach in asphalt mixture design for impervious barriers.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 31 (2): 04018396. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002613.
ICOLD (International Commission on Large Dams). 2018. Asphalt cores for embankment dams. Bulletin 179. Paris: ICOLD.
Kolařík, J., and A. Pegoretti. 2008. “Proposal of the Boltzmann-like superposition principle for nonlinear tensile creep of thermoplastics.” Polym. Test. 27 (5): 596–606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2008.03.002.
Li, P., X. Jiang, K. Guo, Y. Xue, and H. Dong. 2018. “Analysis of viscoelastic response and creep deformation mechanism of asphalt mixture.” Constr. Build. Mater. 171 (May): 22–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.03.104.
Li, P., K. Yi, H. Yu, J. Xiong, and R. Xu. 2021. “Effect of aggregate properties on long-term skid resistance of asphalt mixture.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 33 (1): 04020413. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0003539.
Luo, R., and R. L. Lytton. 2010. “Characterization of the tensile viscoelastic properties of an undamaged asphalt mixture.” Transp. Eng. J. ASCE 136 (3): 173–180. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000083.
Maranini, E., and T. Yamaguchi. 2001. “A non-associated viscoplastic model for the behaviour of granite in triaxial compression.” Mech. Mater. 33 (5): 283–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-6636(01)00052-7.
Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China. 2010. Design code of asphalt concrete facings and cores for embankment dams. [In Chinese.]. Beijing: China Water & Power Press.
Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China. 2013. Specifications for construction of hydraulic asphalt concrete. [In Chinese.]. Beijing: China Water & Power Press.
Mirzapour Mounes, S., M. R. Karim, A. Khodaii, and M. H. Almasi. 2016. “Evaluation of permanent deformation of geogrid reinforced asphalt concrete using dynamic creep test.” Geotext. Geomembr. 44 (1): 109–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2015.06.003.
People’s Republic of China National Energy Administration. 2006. Test code for hydraulic bitumen concrete. [In Chinese.]. Beijing: China Water & Power Press.
Ren, J., Z. Liu, J. Xue, and Y. Xu. 2020. “Influence of the mesoscopic viscoelastic contact model on characterizing the rheological behavior of asphalt concrete in the DEM simulation.” Adv. Civ. Eng. 2020 (9): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5248267.
Rümpker, G., and D. Wolf. 1996. “Viscoelastic relaxation of a Burgers halfspace: Implications for the interpretation of the Fennoscandian uplift.” Geophys. J. Int. 124 (2): 541–555. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.1996.tb07036.x.
Rushing, J. F., and D. N. Little. 2014. “Static creep and repeated load as rutting performance tests for airport HMA mix design.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 26 (9): 04014055. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000952.
Sun, M., H. Tang, M. Wang, Z. Shan, and X. Hu. 2016. “Creep behavior of slip zone soil of the Majiagou landslide in the Three Gorges area.” Environ. Earth Sci. 75 (16): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6002-x.
Tan, T.-K., and W.-F. Kang. 1980. “Locked in stresses, creep and dilatancy of rocks, and constitutive equations.” Rock Mech. 13 (1): 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01257895.
Wang, W., and K. Höeg. 2016. “Simplified material model for analysis of asphalt core in embankment dams.” Constr. Build. Mater. 124 (Oct): 199–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.07.077.
Wang, W., K. Hu, S. Feng, G. Li, and K. Höeg. 2020. “Shear behavior of hydraulic asphalt concrete at different temperatures and strain rates.” Constr. Build. Mater. 230 (Jan): 117022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117022.
Wu, A., J. Wang, Z. Zhou, S. Huang, X. Ding, Z. Dong, and Y. Zhang. 2016. “Engineering rock mechanics practices in the underground powerhouse at Jinping I hydropower station.” J. Rock Mech. Geotech. 8 (5): 640–650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2016.05.001.
Xu, D., A. Wu, Y. Yang, B. Lu, F. Liu, and H. Zheng. 2020. “A new contact potential based three-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis method.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 127 (Mar): 104206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2019.104206.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 9 • September 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 20, 2020
Accepted: Jan 12, 2021
Published online: Jul 5, 2021
Published in print: Sep 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Dec 5, 2021
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
Cited by
- Xi Luo, Mingchen Huo, Research on Creep Constitutive Model and Creep-Life Calculation Method for Steels, Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 10.1061/JMCEE7.MTENG-15514, 35, 10, (2023).
- J.G. Gutiérrez-Ch, S. Senent, E.P. Graterol, P. Zeng, R. Jimenez, Rock shear creep modelling: DEM – Rate process theory approach, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2022.105295, 161, (105295), (2023).
- Xifeng Guo, Qiang Cheng, Liangliang Zhang, Huoming Zhou, Xinfu Xing, Weishu Li, Zhonghao Wang, Large-Scale In Situ Tests for Shear Strength and Creep Behavior of Moraine Soil at the Dadu River Bridge in Luding, China, International Journal of Geomechanics, 10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002362, 22, 5, (2022).