Evaluation of Fatigue Tests for Characterizing Asphalt Binders
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 5
Abstract
The current performance grade (PG) binder specification uses the parameter to quantify binder fatigue property, which has long been known to be the weakest part of the specification. The purpose of this study was to identify a better binder fatigue test. Six asphalt binders with a variety of modifiers were characterized using five asphalt binder tests, including the , elastic recovery test, the multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test, the linear amplitude sweep (LAS) test, and the double edge notch tension (DENT) test in this study. Additionally, the push-pull asphalt mix fatigue test was employed to verify these binder fatigue tests. Comparing the results of the binder tests and the asphalt mix push-pull test, this study further confirmed the poor performance of the parameter to differentiate binder fatigue resistance. It was also found that neither the MSCR nor the LAS test showed good correlation with asphalt mix fatigue resistance. Finally, it was identified that both the DENT and the elastic recovery binder fatigue tests provided the same ranking as the asphalt mix fatigue test. The DENT test is recommended for characterizing asphalt binder fatigue resistance, because it is more fundamentally based than the fully empirical elastic recovery test. Obviously, these findings are based on laboratory tests only, so further field validation is needed. Additionally, one needs always to keep in mind that the binder alone does not determine fatigue life of a pavement structure, and other factors such as traffic and environment are also important.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge both aggregate and asphalt binder industries for providing raw materials for this study. Special thanks go out to Dr. Nelson Gibson, FHwA-Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center for helping arrange the DENT test at FHwA’s asphalt binder lab.
The contents and opinions of this paper reflect the views of the authors, who are solely responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents of this paper do not necessarily reflect the official views or the policies of any agencies.
References
AASHTO. (2011). “Standard method of test for elastic recovery test of asphalt materials by means of a ductilometer.” T 301, Washington, DC.
AASHTO. (2012a). “Standard method of test for determining the rheological properties of asphalt binder using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR).” T 315, Washington, DC.
AASHTO. (2012b). “Standard method of test for multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test of asphalt binder using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR).” TP 70, Washington, DC.
AASHTO. (2012c). “Standard specification for superpave volumetric mix design.” M 323, Washington, DC.
Anderson, D. A., Le Hir, M. Y., Marasteanu, M., Planche, J. P., Martin, D., and Gaauthier, G. (2001). “Evaluation of fatigue criteria for asphalt binder.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, 48–56.
Andriescu, A., Hesp, S. A. M., and Youtcheff, J. S. (2004). “Essential and plastic works of ductile fracture in asphalt binders.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
ASTM. (2006). “Standard test method for elastic recovery of bituminous materials by ductilometer.” D6084, West Conshohocken, PA.
Bahia, H. U., Hanson, D. L., Zeng, M., Zhai, H., Khatri, M. A., and Anderson, R. M. (2001). “Characterization of modified asphalt binders in Superpave mix design.”, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Washington, DC.
Bahia, H. U., Zhai, H., Zeng, M., Hu, Y., and Turner, P. (2002). “Development of binder specification parameters based on characterization of damage behavior.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 70, 442–470.
Castelo Branco, V., Masad, E., Bhasin, A., and Little, D. (2008). “Fatigue analysis of asphalt mixtures independent of mode of loading.”, Washington, DC, 149–156.
Christensen, D., and Bonaquist, R. (2005). “Practical application of continuum damage theory to fatigue phenomena in asphalt concrete mixtures.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 74, 963–1002.
Christensen, D., and Bonaquist, R. (2009). “Analysis of HMA fatigue data using the concepts of reduced loading cycles and endurance limit.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 78, 377–416.
D’ Angleo, J., and Dongre, R. (2009). “Practical use of the MSCR test: Characterization of SBS dispersion and other additives in PMA binders.”, Washington, DC, 73–82.
D’ Angleo, J., Kluttz, R. Q., Dongre, R., Stephens, K., and Zanzotto, L. (2007). “Revision of the Superpave high temperature binder specification: The multiple stress creep and recovery test.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 76, 123–162.
Deacon, J. A., Harvey, J. T., Tayebali, A., and Monismith, C. L. (1997). “Influence of binder loss modulus on the fatigue performance of asphalt concrete pavements.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 66, 633–668.
Gibson, N., Qi, X., Shenoy, A., Al-Khateeb, G., Kutay, M. E., and Andriescu, A. (2011). “Full-scale accelerated performance testing for Superpave and structural validation.”, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
Hintz, C., Velasquez, R., Johnson, C., and Bahia, H. (2011a). “Modification and validation of the linear amplitude sweep test for binder fatigue specification.” Annual Meeting of Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Hintz, C., Velasquez, R., Li, Z., and Bahia, H. (2011b). “Effect of oxidative aging on binder fatigue performance.” Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 80, 527–548.
Johnson, C., and Bahia, H. (2010). “Evaluation of an accelerated procedure for fatigue characterization of asphalt binders.” Submitted for publication in Road Materials and Pavement Design.
Kim, Y., Little, D. N., and Lytton, R. L. (2002). “Use of dynamic mechanical analysis DMA to evaluate the fatigue and healing potential of asphalt binders in sand asphalt mixtures.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 71, 176–206.
Kutay, M., Gibson, N., and Youtcheff, J. (2008). “Conventional and viscoelastic continuum damage (VECD) based fatigue analysis of polymer modified asphalt pavements.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 77, 395–434.
Kutay, M., Gibson, N., Youtcheff, J., and Dongre, R. (2009). “Utilizing small samples to predict fatigue lives of field cores: Newly developed formulation based on viscoelastic continuum damage theory.”, Washington, DC.
Mogawer, W., Austerman, A., Kutay, M. E., and Zhou, F. (2011). “Evaluation of binder elastic recovery on HMA fatigue cracking using continuum damage and overlay test based analyses.” Int. J. Road Mater. Pavement Des., 12(2), 345–376.
Tsai, B., and Monismith, C. L. (2005). “Influence of asphalt binder properties on the fatigue performance of asphalt concrete pavements.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 74, 733–790.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 13, 2012
Accepted: Jun 21, 2012
Published online: Aug 28, 2012
Published in print: May 1, 2013
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.