Pszczola, M.; Szydlowski, C. Influence of Bitumen Type and Asphalt Mixture Composition on Low-Temperature Strength Properties According to Various Test Methods. Materials2018, 11, 2118.
Pszczola, M.; Szydlowski, C. Influence of Bitumen Type and Asphalt Mixture Composition on Low-Temperature Strength Properties According to Various Test Methods. Materials 2018, 11, 2118.
Pszczola, M.; Szydlowski, C. Influence of Bitumen Type and Asphalt Mixture Composition on Low-Temperature Strength Properties According to Various Test Methods. Materials2018, 11, 2118.
Pszczola, M.; Szydlowski, C. Influence of Bitumen Type and Asphalt Mixture Composition on Low-Temperature Strength Properties According to Various Test Methods. Materials 2018, 11, 2118.
Abstract
In regions with low-temperature action transverse cracks can appear in asphalt pavements as a result of thermal stresses that exceed the fracture strength of materials used in asphalt layers. To better understand thermal cracking phenomenon, strength properties of different asphalt mixtures were investigated. Four test methods were used to assess the influence of bitumen type and mixture composition on tensile strength properties of asphalt mixtures: tensile strength using the Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST) and the Uniaxial Tension Stress Test (UTST), flexural strength using the Bending Beam Test (BBT) and fracture toughness using the Semi-Circular Bending Test (SCB). The strength reserve behavior of tested asphalt mixtures was assessed as well. The influence of cooling rate on strength reserve was investigated and correlations between results from different test methods were also analyzed and discussed. It was observed that the type of bitumen is a factor of crucial importance to low-temperature properties of the tested asphalt concretes. This conclusion was proved by all test methods that were used. It was also observed that the level of cooling rate influences the strength reserve and, in consequence, resistance to low-temperature cracking. It was concluded that reasonably good correlations were observed between strength results for the UTST, BBT and SCB test methods.
Keywords
asphalt mixture; low-temperature cracking; tensile strength; strength reserve; flexural strength; Uniaxial Tension Stress Test (UTST); Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST); Bending Beam Test (BBT); Semi-Circular Bending Test (SCB);
Subject
Engineering, Civil Engineering
Copyright:
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