Fatigue Resistance of RCA Modified Asphalt Based on Dielectric Properties

In order to study the anti-fatigue performance of RCA modified asphalt (RMA),the performance of RMA and 90#matrix asphalt with different modifier content were measured by asphalt penetration,ductility,softening point,Brookfield viscosity,rheological index,infrared spectrum and dielectric constant test.This paper discusses the changes of asphalt basic indexes,fatigue properties and asphalt components based on dielectric properties under different modifier contents,and analyzes the grey correlation degree between components and asphalt pavement performance indexes.The results show that the optimum content of RCA modifier is 16.7%of the asphalt quality according to the penetration,ductility,softening point,Brockfield viscosity,viscosity temperature curve and fatigue life.In the phase angle-strain curve,there is disorder in the latter part of the curve.According to the strain (ε_(d)) corresponding to the disorder point,a new fatigue failure criterion is proposed and proved.Based on the new asphalt fatigue failure criterion,the fatigue prediction model of asphalt mixture is improved,and the fatigue life predicted by the improved fatigue model is compared with the fatigue life obtained by four-point bending fatigue test.The results show that the proposed new asphalt fatigue failure criterion is reasonable,and the fatigue life predicted by the improved asphalt mixture fatigue prediction model is accurate.The research method of classifying asphalt components based on dielectric properties is simple and effective,and the components have a high correlation with the road performance of base asphalt and modified asphalt.

A criterion for high-cycle fatigue life and fatigue limit prediction in biaxial loading conditions

This paper presents a criterion for high-cycle fatigue life and fatigue strength estimation under periodic proportional and non-proportional cyclic loading. The criterion is based on the mean and maximum values of the second invariant of the stress deviator. Important elements of the criterion are： function of the non-proportionality of fatigue loading and the materials parameter that expresses the materials sensitivity to non-proportional loading. The methods for the materials parameters determination uses three S–N curves： tension–compression, torsion, and any non-proportional loading proposed. The criterion has been verified using experimental data, and the results are included in the paper. These results should be considered as promising. The paper also includes a proposal for multiaxial fatigue models classification due to the approach for the nonproportionality of loading.

Fatigue cracking criterion of high-strength steels induced by inclusions under high-cycle fatigue

Fatigue properties of high-strength steels become more and more sensitive to inclusions with enhancing the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) because the inclusions often cause a relatively low fatigue strength and a large scatter of fatigue lives. In this work, four S–N curves and more than 200 fatigue fracture morphologies were comprehensively investigated with a special focus on the size and type of inclusions at the fatigue cracking origin in GCr15 steel with a wide strength range by different heat treatments after high-cycle fatigue (HCF). It is found that the percentage of fatigue failure induced by the inclusion including Al2 O3 and TiN gradually increases with increasing the UTS, while the percentage of failure at sample surfaces decreases conversely and the fatigue strength first increases and then decreases. Besides, it is interestingly noted that the inclusion sizes at the cracking origin for TiN are smaller than that for Al2 O3 because the stress concentration factor for TiN is larger than that for Al2 O3 based on the finite element simulation. For the first time, a new fatigue cracking criterion including the isometric inclusion size line in the strength-toughness coordinate system with specific physical meaning was established to reveal the relationship among the UTS, fracture toughness, and the critical inclusion size considering different types of inclusions based on the fracture mechanics. And the critical inclusion size of Al2 O3 is about 1.33 times of TiN. The fatigue cracking criterion could be used to judge whether fatigue fracture occurred at inclusions or not and provides a theoretical basis for controlling the scale of different inclusion types for high-strength steels. Our work may offer a new perspective on the critical inclusion size in terms of the inclusion types, which is of scientific interest and has great merit to industrial metallurgical control for anti-fatigue design.

Application of viscoelastic continuum damage approach to predict fatigue performance of Binzhou perpetual pavements

For this study, the Binzhou perpetual pavement test sections constructed in Shandong Province, China, were simulated for long-term fatigue performance using the layered viscoelastic pavement analysis for critical distresses （LVECD） finite element software package. In this framework, asphalt concrete was treated in the context of linear visco- elastic continuum damage theory. A recently developed unified fatigue failure criterion that defined the boundaries of the applicable region of the theory was also incorporated. The mechanistic modeling of the fatigue mechanisms was able to accommodate the complex temperature variations and loading conditions of the field pavements in a rigorous manner. All of the material models were conveniently characterized by dynamic modulus tests and direct tension cyclic fatigue tests in the laboratory using cylindrical specimens. By comparing the obtained damage characteristic curves and failure criteria, it is found that mixtures with small aggregate particle sizes, a dense gradation, and modified asphalt binder tended to exhibit the best fatigue resistance at the material level. The 15 year finite element structural simulation results for all the test sections indicate that fa- tigue performance has a strong dependence on the thickness of the asphalt pavements. Based on the predicted location and severity of the fatigue damage, it is recommended that Sections 1 and 3 of the Binzhou test sections be emoloved for perpetual pavement design.