Abstract
ABSTRACT Extreme embrittlement in pavements during early years of service has been described, but is a poorly documented phenomenon. This study was undertaken to determine whether extreme embrittlement results from specific combinations of asphalts and aggregates. The time-dependent hardening rates (steric hardening, reversible hardening) of 18 different briquette combinations were measured over a period of eight months. A wide variety of asphalt and aggregate types were used. Extreme embrittlement was not observed in any samples. Hardening was observed to depend on the degree of oxidation of the asphalts and the chemical composition of the asphalts. For the combinations studied, extreme hardening was not induced (i.e., not “catalysed”) by aggregates. The results suggest that extreme, early embrittlement in pavement likely results from causes other than from specific asphalt-aggregate combinations.
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