Dependency of Relative Humidity and Temperature on Diffusion Parameters for Water Vapor Diffusing into Asphalt Mixtures
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 12
Abstract
Relative humidity (RH) and temperature are two major influences on water vapor diffusion in asphalt pavements. However, the combined effect induced by RH and temperature has not been qualified. This study evaluated the RH dependency of Phase I water vapor diffusion and then explored the combined effect caused by RH and temperature. A series of Phase I water vapor diffusion tests at various RH levels were designed and carried out on asphalt mixture specimens using a Gravimetric Sorption Analyzer (GSA). Diffusivity () and water vapor retention capability per unit mass under unitary gas of water vapor with pressure () were determined by applying a more advanced three-dimensional (3D) diffusion model. and were then converted into their corresponding values at 1 atmosphere with the same water vapor pressure ( and ) based on two developed conversion equations. A quadratic function–type model was established between RH and theoretically based on Henry’s law. A similar quadratic function–type model was also developed between RH and based on the definition of diffusivity in porous materials. Furthermore, two comprehensive models that took both RH and temperature into account were theoretically established and were able to describe the RH-temperature dependency of and . The combined effect of RH and temperature was presented in forms of multiplication.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province of China (Project No. 2020CFB187) and the 973 Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Project No. 2015CB060100). Special thanks to the 1,000-Youth Elite Program of China for the startup funds used for purchasing the laboratory equipment that was crucial to this research.
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Dec 15, 2020
Accepted: Apr 9, 2021
Published online: Sep 21, 2021
Published in print: Dec 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 21, 2022
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