Laboratory study on the relationship between pavement texture and tread rubber penetration depth

Abstract

ABSTRACT The asphalt pavement texture is vertical asymmetric, and the tread rubber may contact part of pavement surface. Therefore, the tread penetration depth (d) is probably essential for developing a reliable relationship between pavement performance and texture. This study investigated the effect of pavement on d, and simplified the contact by squeezing a rubber plate into three-dimensional (3D)-printing specimens. The 44 specimens were manufactured based on the surface morphologies of pavements and artificial surfaces with characteristics of pavement texture. The specimens’ surfaces were characterised by parameters from ISO-25178. A set of self-designed fixture was mounted on a loading machine to exert precise force. The contact area was recorded by leaving the stain attached to the rubber plate on the specimens’ surface. The value of d was obtained based on the specimens' Abbott–Firestone curves and the measured contact area. The results showed that the parameters focusing on the top topography of the pavement surface always exhibited a strong positive correlation with d. Furthermore, the parameter representing the volume of peak material showed almost the strongest linear relationship with d. The intercept and slope of the linear equations increased with the increase in the loading pressure or decline in the rubber hardness.