Fracture Performance of Asphalt Concrete under Long-Term Vapor Exposure
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 8
Abstract
Long-term vapor exposure generates persistent moisture gradients across asphalt pavement sections, driving moisture diffusion into asphalt concrete (AC). Moisture in AC weakens the materials and exacerbates the action of load, causing premature distress such as cracking in pavement. However, few investigations have focused on the effects of long-term vapor exposure on AC’s fracture performance. We approached this issue by simulating the fracture process of AC experiencing long-term vapor exposure under an indirect tensile load. The cohesive zone model (CZM) was introduced to depict the fracture process. We calibrated the CZM model by minimizing the difference between simulation and laboratory measurements. The results showed that long-term vapor exposure lowered the bonding strength in AC, accelerating the cracking initiation and propagation. The damage distribution showed that the interface between aggregates and mortar was more prone to damage since it bore more stress than the bulk of the asphalt mortar. This study reveals the fracture performance of AC under long-term vapor exposure, which helps develop measures to prevent premature cracking in the pavement and prolong the service life.
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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
The authors acknowledge the support received from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51878499, 52178433, and 52008311), the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (No. 21ZR1465700), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Nos. 22120200447 and 22120220120).
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 8 • August 2023
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© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 20, 2022
Accepted: Dec 5, 2022
Published online: May 23, 2023
Published in print: Aug 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Oct 23, 2023
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