Abstract
In order to implement the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) to design and maintain asphalt pavements in China, it is necessary to calibrate transfer functions of distresses in MEPDG with local conditions, including traffics, environment, and materials as well as measured pavement distresses data in field. Comprehensive single factor sensitivity analyses of factors that influence thermal cracking of asphalt pavements were conducted utilizing the MEPDG low temperature cracking (LTC) model. Additionally, multiple factor sensitivity analyses were carried out as well, based on which pavement structures with sound thermal cracking resistance were recommended for seasonal frozen regions in China. Finally, the field data of thermal cracks on typical asphalt pavements in China was utilized to calibrate the LTC model in MEPDG. An improvement was proposed on MEPDG LTC model, after which was applied, the predicted thermal cracking from MEPDG LTC model agrees well with measured thermal cracking in China.
Highlights
Asphalt concrete is a typical viscoelastic plastic material
The Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) A-005 program developed a new low temperature cracking (LTC) model that predicts thermal cracking using properties of asphalt mixture measured from the indirect tensile (IDT) test (ASTM D6931-12) along with site-specific environmental and structural information [14]
The objectives of this paper is to propose typical pavement structures so that good resistance on thermal cracking for asphalt pavements can be obtained and to make the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) LTC model proper to predict thermal cracking on asphalt pavement in the seasonal frozen region in China
Summary
Asphalt concrete is a typical viscoelastic plastic material. Thermal cracking may occur when temperature of asphalt concrete changes repeatedly or when there is temperature gradient inside asphalt concrete [1]. Fromm and Phang [4] utilized factor analysis, multiple linear regression, and stepwise multiple regression to develop a model describing the observed phenomena and to predict cracking behavior of pavements. Prior to the Strategy Highway Research Program (SHRP) A-005 project, no existing models predicted thermal cracking performance (amount of cracking versus time) with fundamental, low temperature mixture properties [13]. The SHRP A-005 program developed a new low temperature cracking (LTC) model that predicts thermal cracking (amount of cracking versus time) using properties of asphalt mixture measured from the indirect tensile (IDT) test (ASTM D6931-12) along with site-specific environmental and structural information [14]. Since the transfer functions of thermal cracking in the two softwares remain the same, the study in this paper is still valid and is helpful in designing asphalt pavements with sound thermal cracking resistance
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