Temperature Variation through Deep Multigrade Asphalt Pavements and Proposed Method for Accounting for Fluctuations
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32, Issue 3
Abstract
Multigrade bitumen asphalt is a quality asphalt product that is not used in many places globally. Multigrade bitumen is believed to be less sensitive to temperature, which gives it an advantage over conventional binders. Previous testing has shown that asphalt temperature changes greatly with depth, but currently the industry standard is to nominate a single temperature for design. For detailed design of asphalt roads, perhaps asphalt layers should be divided into nominal layer depths and different modulus and fatigue equations/values should be used to reflect the temperatures of each respective layer. Previous laboratory testing conducted on multigrade bitumen asphalt beams under a range of temperatures and loading conditions was analyzed. The samples tested included 0% or 15% recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) to determine the impact of the recycled material on the fatigue life and stiffness of the pavement. This study investigated the temperature susceptibility of multigrade bitumen asphalt pavements compared with that of conventional binders by combining previous testing that included conducting a range of fatigue tests, developing complex modulus master curves for each mix, and a study of how pavement temperature changes through pavement depth. The materials properties were analyzed using the pavement design software. This investigation found that the final design of the pavement is greatly affected by the nominated pavement temperature and respective material properties. This paper outlines a potential revision to the current design approach for asphalt pavements and proposes that further investigation is needed into pavement temperature and its incorporation into design.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request (including raw fatigue testing data, modulus testing data, and heat box testing data).
Acknowledgments
This research was partially supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. We thank our colleagues from the Queensland University of Technology and the University of the Sunshine Coast who provided insight and expertise that greatly assisted the research. We also thank the employees of Brisbane City Council who played an invaluable role in providing guidance and the testing materials.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32 • Issue 3 • March 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 8, 2019
Accepted: Aug 5, 2019
Published online: Jan 7, 2020
Published in print: Mar 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jun 7, 2020
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