Phenomenological modeling of aging and rejuvenation on asphalt binder fatigue characteristics

Abstract

Recycling agents (RAs) have been explored as additives to enhance the properties of recycled asphalt binders. Despite extensive research on RAs, a critical knowledge gap exists regarding their impact on fatigue cracking of asphalt binders, especially considering the aging processes. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the effects of recycling agents on the fatigue properties of asphalt binders, with a specific focus on the influence of aging and rejuvenation. The current Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) test analysis procedure is utilized to assess the fatigue properties, and the efficacy of existing LAS test-based indices is evaluated. Furthermore, a novel index based on the simplified viscoelastic continuum damage (S-VECD) theory framework is proposed to monitor changes in fatigue properties with aging and rejuvenation. A total of 26 recycled binder blends are studied and the results demonstrate that the proposed index consistently tracks the effects of aging and rejuvenation in recycled binder blends containing recycling agents. Additionally, cross-scale assessments are conducted by correlating the proposed index with mixture performance, specifically the Indirect Tensile-Cracking Test parameter (CTindex). The findings indicate that the proposed index exhibits a correlation with the CTindex after 1-day Long Term Aging testing and effectively captures the aging sensitivity across different scales.