Abstract
Accurate characterisation and appropriate binder selection are essential to increase the load-induced cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures at an intermediate temperature. Hence, the primary goal of this study was to correlate the cracking resistance exerted by the binder with the cracking performance of asphalt mixtures. The laboratory-based experimental plan covered various types of laboratory tests specified by various agencies and road authorities to study the correlation of a neat bitumen and five polymer-modified binders with their corresponding asphalt mixtures. The fatigue life of the binders was assessed through a Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) test and statistically correlated with various load-induced cracking parameters from the indirect tensile test, semi-circular bending (SCB) test, and four points bending beam test (FPBB) of asphalt mixtures at 25 °C. Binders and mixes were further grouped depending on their polymeric family (i.e., modified with a particular type of polymer) to validate their statistical correlation. The indicator that mostly correlated the binder properties with the asphalt mixture properties is the secant modulus from the SCB test. Fatigue parameters obtained through LAS better explain the asphalt fatigue performance obtained through FPBB; specifically, asphalt tests at high strain levels (e.g., 400 micro strain) better correlate to the LAS fatigue parameter (Nf).
Highlights
Asphalt pavements are affected by three major deterioration mechanisms: moisture damage, cracking, and permanent deformation [1,2,3,4]
= Moderate to High Correlation (Darker Green = Higher Correlation Compared to Lighter Green); Yellow Backgound =
The deformation required by elastomers to reach 50% stiffness will be high compared to plastomers, resulting in similar work, as this is the product between force and deformation for all types of materials
Summary
Asphalt pavements are affected by three major deterioration mechanisms: moisture damage, cracking, and permanent deformation [1,2,3,4]. Traffic-induced cracking of flexible pavements manifests as alligator cracking on the pavement’s surface due to recurrent stresses and strains produced by cyclic loading at an intermediate temperature [5,6,7]. Cracking on pavements depends on the road pavement structure (i.e., layer thickness, stiffness modulus, and rheological properties of bitumen), traffic, environmental conditions, and the time-dependent variation (aging) of bitumen [8]. In addition to the deterioration of the pavement’s structural integrity, cracking reduces the road functionality, including safety, comfort, and operating expenses for the user [9]. Many variables influence the cracking behaviour of asphalt mixes (i.e., ambient conditions, mixture properties, traffic loading, binder, and aggregate properties), the binder is said to perform the most critical function [6,10,11]. The durability of asphalt pavements can be enhanced by appropriate binder selection and precise characterisation of the asphalt binders [13,14]
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