Interference of natural vibrations in four-point bending test on beams with asphalt composite made with calcined clay aggregate

Abstract

Relevant mechanical parameters of asphalt composites, such as the dynamic modulus and phase angle, are obtained by means of four-point bending tests. It is a dynamic test based on the application of sinusoidal load pulses and sinusoidal displacement response. A sinusoidal response can be difficult to record due to different issues, such as noise during an experiment. In strain-controlled tests with the application of a low-load amplitude with asphalt mixtures at high temperatures composed with calcined clay, which is the case of the test carried out in this study, a relationship was observed between the apparent noise recorded and the frequencies of the beam’s natural vibration. This outcome led to the conclusion that these imperfections are not a result of failures in the procedure, but of the natural behavior of the beam. This conclusion can assist in the filtering of information to obtain better results.