Laboratory Evaluation of the Stiffness Modulus of a Modified Bituminous Concrete with PR PLAST Sahara

Uneven roads surface can be observed on bituminous pavements. This is due to moving loads and climate conditions. If the observed deformations exceed the elastic limit, important damages can occur, so new materials are used to improve the stiffness modulus of bituminous mixtures. To achieve this, a modified bituminous concrete by addition of the PR PLAST Sahara （produced by PR industries and PLAST for Plastic） mainly used in arid region has been studied. The use of this additive at various percentages 0.1, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 by weight of bituminous concrete has been investigated to determine its stiffness modulus. An experimental design using the Taguchi tables has been elaborated to reduce the number of tests. Marshall and NAT （Nottingham asphalt tester） tests have been carried out, and a mathematical model of the stiffness modulus has been proposed.

Calculation of Measurement Uncertainty for Stiffness Modulus of Asphalt Mixture

Asphalt mixture is a highly heterogeneous material, which is one of the reasons for high measurements uncertainty when subjected to tests. The results of such tests are often unreliable, which may lead to making bad professional judgments. They can be avoided by carrying out reliable analyses of measurement uncertainty adequate for the research methods used and conducted before the actual research is done. This paper presents the calculation of measurements uncertainty using as an example--the determination of the stiffness modulus of the asphalt mixture, which, in turn, was accomplished using the indirect tension method. The paper also shows the employment of the basic methods of statistical analysis, such as testing two mean values and conformity tests. Essential concepts in measurements uncertainty have been compiled and the determination of the stiffness module parameters are discussed. It has been demonstrated that the biggest source of error in the stiffness modulus measuring process is the displacement measure. The aim of the research was to find the measurement uncertainty for stiffness modulus by an indirect tensile test and the presentation of examples of the used statistical methods.

A comparative study of piezoelectric unimorph and multilayer actuators as stiffness sensors via contact resonance

Piezoelectric bar-shaped resonators were proposed to act as hardness sensors in the 1960 s and stiffness sensors in the 1990 s based on the contact impedance method.In this work, we point out that both multilayer and unimorph（or bimorph） piezoelectric actuators could act as stiffness/modulus sensors based on the principle of mechanical contact resonance. First, the practical design and the performance of a piezoelectric unimorph actuator–based stiffness sensor were presented. Then the working principle of piezoelectric multilayer actuator–based stiffness sensors was given and verified by numerical investigation. It was found that for these two types of resonance-based sensors, the shift of the resonance frequency due to contact is always positive, which is different from that of the contact impedance method. Further comparative sensitivity study indicated that the unimorph actuator–based stiffness sensor is very suitable for measurement on soft materials, whereas the multilayer actuator–based sensor is more suitable for hard materials.

Creep Characteristics of Crumb Rubber Modified Asphalt Binder

Crumb rubber modified asphalt containing 20 percent crumb rubber particles of 30 mesh has been examined by Scanning Electron Microscope （SEM） to observe the microcosmic appearance and the characteristic distribution of crumb rubber particles in asphalt. The SEM pictures reveal that the crumb rubber particles distribute evenly in the asphalt and they are compatible well with asphalt. The shear creep test of crumb rubber modified asphalt was carried out at -10 ℃ and 40 ℃ by Dynamic Shear Rheology （DSR）. The shearing deformation at different temperature and creep stiffness modulus curve at loading stage of crumb rubber modified asphalt have been measured. The stiffness modulus of crumb rubber modified asphalt is much temperature sensitive and it decays much quick at the early stage of loading than normal asphalt. The rate of decay of stiffness modulus is slow at the subsequent stage and stiffness modulus approaches to a stable value at the final stage at a higher temperature. In addition, Burgers model is suitable to describe and simulate experimental results of viscoelastic properties of the crumb rubber modified asphalt.

Experimental Survey on Dry Asphalt Rubber Concrete for Sub-ballast Layers

This paper presents the results of an experimental survey on the potential application of DARC （dry asphalt rubber concrete） in rail superstructure, within sub-ballast layers by measuring its damping and mechanical properties. Based on the environmental friendly point of view the DARC has the significant advantage as the backfill material of sub-ballast layer because the rubber comes from the waste tires of truck and its usage can results a significant recycling of non-biodegradable wastes. After a preliminary mix-design of several DARCs, with different rubber content that confirmed by using the Marshall test, the stiffness modulus and damping ratio both of a standard bituminous mixture and of dry asphalt rubber concrete with a rubber content equal to 1.5% were determined using the four points bending device. The experimental results were compared and a numerical analysis by means of a 2D lumped mass model was developed in order to evaluate the different performance within the rail superstructure in terms both of the deflection and of the pressure on sub-grade. Both the results on the mechanical and dissipative properties of the DARC and the mechanical behavior of the correlate rail superstructure encourage the authors to continue the research on the application of such material for sub-ballast layers.

Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of Gap Graded Cold Asphalt Containing Cement Utilising By-Product Material

The little stiffness modulus, high voidage and long curing time has limited the use of CBEM＇s （cold bituminous emulsion mixtures） in road and highways to pavement experiencing low traffic. The aim of this study is to improve the properties of gap graded CRA （cold rolled asphal0 containing OPC （ordinary portland cement） as filler by addition of a by-product material as an activator. OPC was added to the CRA as a replacement to the conventional mineral filler （0%-100%）, while LJMUA （Liverpool John Moores University Activator） was added as an additive in the range from 0%-3% by total mass of aggregate. Laboratory tests included stiffness modulus and uniaxial creep test to assess the mechanical properties. The results have shown a considerable improvement in the mechanical properties from the addition of LJMUA to the CRA containing OPC especially for the early life stiffness modulus that is the main disadvantage of the cold mixtures.

Experimental Study on Fatigue Performance of Gussasphalt Mixture

Four-point flexural fatigue test for Gussasphalt mixture specimen was carried out at a straincontrolled mode system. The results showed that the development of the tested stiffness modulus and phase angle of the mixtures with increasing load cycles exhibited three periods, initial generation, slow development and failure period. The fatigue crack generation zone formed in the third period, in which the macro mechanical properties were signifi cantly decreased. Moreover, we also analyzed the effects of asphalt content and mixing temperature on the fatigue life of the mixture. The results showed that the fi rst period when the specimen＇s initial stiffness modulus was reduced to 80% accounted for 5%-10% of the total fatigue life; the second period in which the reduction became slow and demonstrated a liner relationship with load cycles occupied 70%-85% of the fatigue life; and the third period was about 5%-10%. The results indicated that the lower the mixing temperature, the longer the fatigue life of Gussasphalt mixture. Besides, the increasing of asphalt content has a minor effect on the fatigue life of Gussasphalt mixture

Structure dependent elastic properties of supergraphene

Complete replacement of aromatic carbon bonds in graphene by carbyne chains gives rise to supergraphene whose mechanical properties are expected to depend on its structure. However, this dependence is to date unclear. In this paper, explicit expressions for the in-plane stiffness and Poisson＇s ratio of supergraphene are obtained using a molecular mechanics model. The theoretical results show that the in-plane stiffness of supergraphene is drastically（at least one order） smaller than that of graphene, whereas its Poisson＇s ratio is higher than 0.5. As the index number increases（i.e., the length of carbyne chains increases and the bond density decreases）, the in-plane stiffness of supergraphene decreases while the Poisson＇s ratio increases. By analyzing the relation among the layer modulus, in-plane stiffness and Poisson＇s ratio, it is revealed that the mechanism of the faster decrease in the in-plane stiffness than the bond density is due to the increase of Poisson＇s ratio. These findings are useful for future applications of supergraphene in nanomechanical systems.

Bridging the gap between laboratory and field moduli of asphalt layer for pavement design and assessment:A comprehensive loading frequency-based approach

Asphalt pavement is a key component of highway infrastructures in China and worldwide.In asphalt pavement design and condition assessment,the modulus of the asphalt mixture layer is a crucial parameter.However,this parameter varies between the laboratory and field loading modes(i.e.,loading frequency,compressive or tensile loading pattern),due to the viscoelastic property and composite structure of the asphalt mixture.The present study proposes a comprehensive frequency-based approach to correlate the asphalt layer moduli obtained under two field and three laboratory loading modes.The field modes are vehicular and falling weight deflectometer(FWD)loading modes,and the laboratory ones are uniaxial compressive(UC),indirect tensile(IDT),and four-point bending(4PB)loading modes.The loading frequency is used as an intermediary parameter for correlating the asphalt layer moduli under different loading modes.The observations made at two field large-scale experimental pavements facilitate the correlation analysis.It is found that the moduli obtained via laboratory 4PB tests are pretty close to those of vehicular loading schemes,in contrast to those derived in UC,IDT,and FWD modes,which need to be adjusted.The corresponding adjustment factors are experimentally assessed.The applications of those adjustment factors are expected to ensure that the moduli measured under different loading modes are appropriately used in asphalt mixture pavement design and assessment.

Review and evaluation of cold recycling with bitumen emulsion and cement for rehabilitation of old pavements

The article presents Polish experience with cold recycling of asphalt pavements with the usage of bituminous emulsion and cement. In the 1990 s numerous roads in Poland required immediate reinforcement due to their significant degradation. Implementation of the cold recycling technology was one of the solutions to this problem. Cold recycled mixtures contain e beside the recycled asphalt pavement and aggregate e two different types of binding agents: bituminous emulsion and Portland cement. First Polish requirements were developed in the 1990 s and were based on the Marshall test. After several years of application of these requirements, numerous transverse cracks appeared on the pavements. Field investigation showed that the frequency of transverse cracking was not uniform on all evaluated sections and that the growth rate of the number of cracks was decreasing. The main reason of extensive cracking was the overly high amount of the Portland cement and insufficient amount of the bituminous emulsion. This led to production of very stiff mixtures, with dominance of hydraulic bonds, which behaved similarly to cement-treated mixtures. The idea of flexible cold recycled base course was not utilized. This experience motivated the Polish Road Administration to develop new requirements. Second part of the article presents the new requirements for cold recycling.New test methods as well as requirements concerning resistance to frost and water action were introduced in 2013. Implementing of the new requirements resulted in significant reduction in stiffness of the MCE mixtures. Values of stiffness modulus are even three times lower, which should significantly decrease the amount of potential reflective cracks on the pavement surface. Presently two types of technology of cold recycling are used in Poland, in-place and in-plant.