Experimental Measurement and Numerical Simulation of Water Vapor Diffusion through Asphalt Pavement Materials
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 22, Issue 6
Abstract
Moisture damage in asphalt mixtures is defined as the gradual loss of structural integrity caused by the presence of moisture. A simple experimental procedure was developed in this study to measure water vapor diffusion coefficients in coarse aggregates, fine aggregate mixture (blend of the fine portion of the aggregates with the asphalt binder), and hot-mix asphalt. The procedure is based on periodic weight measurements of specimen-container ensembles subjected to a controlled temperature and relative humidity environment. Fick’s first law was used to estimate the diffusion coefficients of the materials. The results show that the proposed experimental method is an economic and efficient tool to quantify water vapor diffusion coefficients. Determining these material properties is fundamental to develop numerical models to study the deleterious effects of moisture vapor on the mechanical performance of asphalt mixtures. In order to exemplify the significance of the experimental measurements, a numerical simulation of transient moisture diffusion within the cross section microstructure of an asphalt mixture was conducted. The results of the simulations suggest that diffusion coefficients are fundamental for tracking the potential of a mixture to develop moisture-related degradation processes. Furthermore, it was observed that under the same environmental conditions, moisture damage in an asphalt mixture is highly influenced by the moisture diffusion coefficient of its constitutive phases.
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Acknowledgments
This research was performed while the first writer held a National Research Council Research Associateship Award at the Federal Highway Administration Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC). The writers extend their gratitude to Jacob Torres and Jianming Wei for their help with the experimental aspects of this study. The contribution of Scott Parobeck and Frank Davis, technicians at the TFHRC Bituminous Mixtures Laboratory, is greatly appreciated. In addition, the writers thank Benjamin Graybeal and Marshall Davis, members of the TFHRC Bridge Design and Construction Team, for providing and maintaining the environmental chamber used in this study. The writers also recognize the contribution of Tim Clyne from the Minnesota Department of Transportation for providing the asphalt mixture used in this study.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 22 • Issue 6 • June 2010
Pages: 588 - 598
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 6, 2008
Accepted: Oct 15, 2009
Published online: Oct 27, 2009
Published in print: Jun 2010
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