Numerical study of fatigue damage of asphalt concrete using cohesive zone model

In order to investigate the fatigue behavior of asphalt concrete, a new numerical approach based on a bi-linear cohesive zone model （CZM） is developed. Integrated with the CZM, a fatigue damage evolution model is established to indicate the gradual degradation of cohesive properties of asphalt concrete under cyclic loading. Then the model is implemented in the finite element software ABAQUS through a user-defined subroutine. Based on the proposed model, an indirect tensile fatigue test is finally simulated. The fatigue lives obtained through numerical analysis show good agreement with laboratory results. Fatigue damage accumulates in a nonlinear manner during the cyclic loading process and damage initiation phase is the major part of fatigue failure. As the stress ratio increases, the time of the steady damage growth stage decreases significantly. It is found that the proposed fatigue damage evolution model can serve as an accurate and efficient tool for the prediction of fatigue damage of asphalt concrete.

Evaluation of fatigue property of asphalt mixtures based on digital image correlation method

In order to evaluate the accumulative of tensile strain in the process of fatigue failure, the digital image correlation（DIC） method was utilized to characterize the tensile strain development of asphalt mixtures in the indirect tensile（IDT）fatigue test. Three typical hot mix asphalt（HMA） mixtures with varying nominal maximum aggregate sizes were tested at four stress levels. During the tests, a digital camera was mounted to capture the displacement/strain fields on the surface of the specimen by recording the real-time change of speckle position. The results indicate that the vertical deformation curve can barely evaluate the fatigue performance accurately due to the non-negligible local deflection near the loading point. However, based on the analysis of strain fields,the optimal fatigue cracking zone is determined as a 40mm×40mm rectangle in the middle of the specimens. Also, a reasonable fatigue model based on the tensile strain curves calculated by DIC is proposed to predict the fatigue lives of asphalt mixtures.

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.

Cold In-Place Recycling as a Sustainable Pavement Practice

Pavement rehabilitation and reconstruction methods with CIR （cold in-place recycling） are alternatives that can effectively reduce the high stresses and waste produced by conventional pavement strategies. An attempt was made to predict the performance, particularly low-temperature cracking resistance characteristics of CIR mixtures. These were prepared with the mix design procedure developed at the URI （University of Rhode Island） for the FHWA （Federal Highway Administration） to reduce wide variations in the application of CIR mixtures production. This standard was applied to RAP （reclaimed asphalt pavement） to produce CIR mixtures with CSS-Ih asphalt emulsion as the additive. By adjusting the number of gyrations of the SGC （Superpave gyratory compactor） for compaction, the field density of 130 pcf was represented accurately. To secure a base line, HMA （hot mix asphalt） samples were produced according to the Superpave volumetric mix design procedure. The specimens were tested using the IDT （indirect tensile） tester according to the procedure of AASHTO T 322 procedure at temperatures of-20, -10 and 0 ℃ （-4, 14, and 32°F, respectively）. The obtained results for the creep compliance and tensile strength were used as input data for the MEPDG （mechanistic empirical pavement design guide）. The analysis results indicated that no thermal or low-temperature cracking is expected over the entire analysis period of 20 years for both HMA and CIR mixtures. Thus, it appears that CIR is a sustainable rehabilitation technique which is also suitable for colder climates, and it is recommended to conduct further investigation of load-related distresses such as rutting and fatigue cracking.