Development of Fracture Resistance Curves for Asphalt Concrete
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 11
Abstract
To date, a significant portion of research investigating the fracture characteristics of asphalt concrete has consisted of calculating a single number. This number includes values such as the stress intensity factor, fracture energy, or the J-integral. Unfortunately, by using only a single number, it can be confounding to differentiate between different types of asphalt concrete mixtures, especially at different testing temperatures. This research used a common fracture analysis technique, called resistance curves, or R-curves, to construct fracture resistance curves that include fracture characteristics of asphalt concrete at multiple testing temperatures. Sets of R-curves were collected at three testing temperatures and joined together to form a single R-curve, encompassing fracture characteristics across a temperature range, similar to the concept of constructing master curves collected for dynamic modulus testing. The technique was developed using data collected from the disk-shaped compact tension testing geometry. The effect of polymer modification type, air voids, aggregate type, and asphalt cement content were analyzed. Using R-curves instead of a single number allowed for a deeper understanding of the fracture characteristics of asphalt concrete. Unlike previous research, it was found that the effect and type of polymer modification can be better understood using R-curves, 4% air voids have a higher cracking resistance versus 7% air voids, and energy specific turning points were found that can influence the choice of asphalt concrete material components by local and federal agencies. Although this study is a preliminary analysis of the use of fracture R-curves for the analysis of the cracking resistance of asphalt concrete, it does identify the potential power of this method.
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References
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© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 21, 2011
Accepted: Oct 26, 2012
Published online: Oct 29, 2012
Discussion open until: Mar 29, 2013
Published in print: Nov 1, 2013
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