Evaluation of Fatigue Cracking in Asphalt Mixtures Based on Surface Energy
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 29, Issue 3
Abstract
Fatigue cracking in an asphalt mixture is a process whereby microcracks in the asphalt–aggregate interface propagate into extensive interconnected cracks under repeated loads. The fatigue performance of asphalt is influenced by the load as well as the intrinsic nature of the asphalt–aggregate system. This study used the surface energy concept of asphalt and aggregate systems to characterize the fatigue behavior of asphalt mixtures. The surface energy of asphalt and aggregate at different temperatures were measured using Wilhelmy plate method and contact angle meter, respectively. By using dissipated pseudostrain energy of nonlinear viscoelastic material and micromechanics cracking model, the effect of surface energy on fatigue life of the asphalt mixtures was analyzed. Laboratory test indicated that the surface energy of the asphalt generally decreased with an increase of temperature. Compared with AH70 grade asphalt, the surface energy of styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS)-modified asphalt was less sensitive to temperature. Using SBS asphalt and basalt improved fatigue life of asphalt mixtures because of improved adhesion.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This paper was prepared from a study which received substantial help from Robert Lytton coming from Texas A &M University. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented within. Robert Lytton’s contribution to this research is greatly appreciated. The authors would like to thank laboratory personnel for assisting in preparation of this manuscript also.
References
Adamson, A. W., and Gast, A. P. (1997). Physical chemistry of surfaces, 6th Ed., Wiley, New York.
Bhasin, A., Castelo Branco, V., Masad, E., and Little, D. (2009). “Quantitative comparison of energy methods to characterize fatigue in asphalt materials.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 83–92.
Cheng, D. (2002). “Surface free energy of asphalt–aggregate system and performance analysis of asphalt concrete.” Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX.
Cheng, D., Little, D. N., Lytton, R. L., and Holste, J. C. (2002a). “Surface energy measurement of asphalt and its application to predicting fatigue and healing in asphalt mixtures.” Transp. Res. Records, 1810, 44–53.
Cheng, D., Little, D. N., Lytton, R. L., and Holste, J. C. (2002b). “Use of surface free energy of asphalt–aggregate system to predict moisture damage potential.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 71, 59–88.
Finn, F. N., Saraf, C., Kulkarni, R., Nair, K., Smith, W., and Abdullah, A. (1977). “The use of distress prediction subsystem for the design of pavement structures.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on the Structure Design of Asphalt Pavement, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Hefer, A. W., Bhasin, A., and Little, D. N. (2006). “Bitumen surface energy characterization using a contact angle approach.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 759–767.
Huang, Y. H. (1993). Pavement analysis and design, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Kachanov, L. M. (1986). Introduction to continuum damage mechanics, Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, Netherlands.
Kim, Y. R., and Little, D. N. (1989). “Evaluation of healing in asphalt concrete by means of the theory of nonlinear viscoelasticity.” Transportation Research Record 1228, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, 198–210.
Kim, Y. R., Little, D. N., and Benson, F. C. (1990). “Chemical and mechanical evaluation on healing mechanism of asphalt concrete.” Proc. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 59, 240–275.
Little, D. N., Lytton, R. L., and Williams, D. (1997). “Propagation and healing of microcrack in asphalt concrete and their contributions to fatigue.” Asphalt science and technology, A. M. Usmani, ed., Marcel Dekker, New York, 149–195.
Lytton, R. L. (2000). “Characterizing asphalt pavement for performance.” National Research Council, Washington, DC.
Lytton, R. L., Chen, C. W., and Little, D. N. (1998). “A micromechanics fracture and healing model for asphalt concrete.”, Texas A&M Univ., TX.
Masad, E., Zollinger, C., Bulut, R., Little, D. N., and Lytton, R. L. (2006). “Characterization of HMA moisture damage using surface energy and fracture properties.” J. Assoc. Asphalt Paving Technol., 75, 713–754.
Maugis, D. (1999). Contact, adhesion and rupture of elastic solids, Springer, Heidelberg, Germany, 3–12.
Schapery, R. A. (1984). “Correspondence principles and a generalized J integral for large deformation and fracture analysis of Viscoelastic media.” Int. J. Fract., 25(3), 195–223.
Schapery, R. A. (1989). “On the mechanics of crack closing and bonding in linear viscoelastic media.” Int. J. Fract., 39(1–3), 163–189.
Si, Z. (2001). “Characterization of microdamage and healing of asphalt concrete mixtures.” Ph.D. dissertation, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX.
Zollinger, C. J. (2005). “Application of surface energy measurements to evaluate moisture susceptibility of asphalt and aggregates.” M.S. thesis, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 29 • Issue 3 • March 2017
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 26, 2015
Accepted: Aug 26, 2015
Published online: Nov 5, 2015
Discussion open until: Apr 5, 2016
Published in print: Mar 1, 2017
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.