Coefficients of Thermal Contraction and Expansion of Asphalt Concrete in the Laboratory

The research reported in this paper investigates the coefficient of thermal contraction (CTE) and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of asphalt concrete (AC) under different conditions in the laboratory. As a first step, the CTC and the CTE of AC at different temperatures ranging between $-20$ and 55°C were measured using field samples to examine the temperature effect. Then, the difference in the CTC and the CTE values in the vertical and horizontal directions (cross anisotropy) were evaluated using field samples. The influences of air void (AV), aggregate type, and aggregate gradation on the CTC and the CTE values were also investigated using laboratory prepared SuperPave gyratory samples. The deformation measuring devices, LVDTs, were calibrated using a zerodur to eliminate the temperature effect on the LVDTs. Results show that the CTC and the CTE values of AC are nonlinear with temperature and vary with aggregate type. However, gradation of aggregate and AV of sample do not affect the CTC and the CTE values significantly. The findings of this paper are highly expected to be useful in calculating the temperature-induced stress in AC using any design/analysis tool.