Sulfur-Asphalt Mixtures Using Poorly Graded Sands

Properties evaluated include uniaxial tensile stiffness, failure stress, and strain. The results of a series of third-point flexure tests are presented and compared with published fatigue data on conventional asphaltic concrete mixtures. A test method is presented by which volume changes incurred by the material during deformation can be related to the accumlation of stress-induced damage. This technique was used to evaluate the relative susceptibility to accumulate damage of sulfur-asphalt and a superior grade conventional asphalt concrete. These engineering properties were then incorporated into an equivalent pavement thickness analysis using elastic layered theory for sulfur-asphalt and asphaltic concrete mixtures under identical loading and subgrade conditions. The results indicate that sulfur-asphalt mixtures prepared with inexpensive, poorly-graded sands were shown to have properties at least equal to or better than a high-grade asphaltic concrete.