Compressive and Tensile Fracture Failure Analysis of Asphalt Mixture Subjected to Freeze–Thaw Conditions by Acoustic Emission and CT Scanning Technologies

Abstract

The cracking of bitumen pavement in seasonal frozen areas has direct and significant influences on its properties. In order to study the compressive and tensile fracture failure features of basalt fiber-reinforced asphalt mix after freeze–thaw (F-T) treatment, the load–displacement curves under the compression and tensile modes of asphalt mixture after F-T conditions were tested. As a real-time detection means, acoustic emission (AE) was used for testing asphalt mix under compression and tensile load modes. X-ray computed tomography (CT) was employed to represent and evaluate the interior void in F-T conditions. The results showed that, as F-T conditions continue, the compressive and tensile strength of the specimens at different temperatures decreases. The amplitude and count of AE signals with the time history of load level show different characteristics of change in various intervals. AE signal indirect parameters reveal that under compressive and tensile load modes there is a gradual deterioration of performance for asphalt mix due to the coupling interactions between tensile and shear cracks. The asphalt mixtures have different behavior in F-T conditions, which are attributable to interior meso-void characteristics based on CT analysis. This study is limited to the type and loading mode of asphalt mixture in order to quantitatively predict the performance of asphalt mixture.