Abstract
Low-temperature cracking is one of the most common road pavement distress types in Poland. While bitumen performance can be evaluated in detail using bending beam rheometer (BBR) or dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests, none of the normalized test methods gives a comprehensive representation of low-temperature performance of the asphalt mixtures. This article presents the Bending Beam Creep test performed at temperatures from −20 °C to +10 °C in order to evaluate the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. Both validation of the method and its utilization for the assessment of eight types of wearing courses commonly used in Poland were described. The performed test indicated that the source of bitumen and its production process (and not necessarily only bitumen penetration) had a significant impact on the low-temperature performance of the asphalt mixtures, comparable to the impact of binder modification (neat, polymer-modified, highly modified) and the aggregate skeleton used in the mixture (Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) vs. Asphalt Concrete (AC)). Obtained Bending Beam Creep test results were compared with the BBR bitumen test. Regression analysis confirmed that performing solely bitumen tests is insufficient for comprehensive low-temperature performance analysis.
Highlights
The performed test indicated that the source of bitumen and its production process had a significant impact on the low-temperature performance of the asphalt mixtures, comparable to the impact of binder modification and the aggregate skeleton used in the mixture (Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) vs
One of the most frequent failure types of asphalt pavements that occur at low temperatures are transverse cracks, which are caused by thermal tensile stresses induced under cold winter conditions
The first one is directly connected to the value of thermal stress induced in the asphalt layers by a decrease in temperature
Summary
One of the most frequent failure types of asphalt pavements that occur at low temperatures are transverse cracks, which are caused by thermal tensile stresses induced under cold winter conditions. Low-temperature cracking starts at the surface of the asphalt pavement and progresses downward with time, due to low winter temperatures as well as rapid drops in ambient temperature. The existence of transverse cracks caused by low temperature leads to other types of degradation of pavement structure. Subbase and subgrade can be weakened by water entering the pavement through the cracks. The general mechanism of the development of low-temperature cracking indicates that cracks occur when thermal tensile stresses exceed the fracture strength of the asphalt pavement layer [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
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