Nanomechanical Properties of Constituent Phases in Bituminous Mixtures
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 28, Issue 10
Abstract
This paper presents a nanomechanical test-analysis method to measure the elastic modulus and hardness of constituent phases of bituminous paving mixtures. Quasi-static nanoindentation tests were conducted on small-volume specimens using a Berkovich nanoindenter tip. The elastic modulus and hardness were analyzed from the responses of the material measured during the unloading segment of the nanoindentation tests using a contact mechanics–based analytical model. The correlation of the scanning probe images and nanoindentation results reveal that the aggregates and matrix have the highest and the lowest stiffness-hardness in the mixture as expected, and a gradual change in the elastic modulus and hardness occurs across the aggregate-matrix interphase with an approximate 30–60 μm width. This study clearly demonstrates that a nanoindentation approach can be effectively used to characterize the fundamental properties of different phases and critical locations in heterogeneous mixtures using readily available small-volume specimens. The possibility of obtaining more accurate and statistically reliable material properties can improve the accuracy of materials characterization and performance prediction modeling of mixtures and structures.
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Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the financial supports received from the National Science Foundation under Grant (CMMI-0644618) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/Texas A&M Research Foundation (Asphalt Research Consortium) under Grant (DTFH61-07-H-00009). We also thank the BM3 Laboratory in College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the nanoindentation testing facility.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 28 • Issue 10 • October 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 31, 2015
Accepted: Jan 26, 2016
Published online: Apr 20, 2016
Discussion open until: Sep 20, 2016
Published in print: Oct 1, 2016
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