The use of direct tension tests for the assessment of low temperature properties of bituminous binders

In France, tensile tests on bituminous binders are usually performed on vertical electromechanical loading frames, the test samples being placed in an insulated temperature control chamber and the deformations determined from the displacement of the cross-head. The paper presents the results of an inter-laboratory study of which the objective was to evaluate the suitability of this kind of equipment for the performance of direct tension tests at low temperatures. Most of the test parameters, used for this study complied with the procedure proposed by SHRP as from 1995 (AASHTO TP3). The various operating factors, and more particularly those affecting the determination of true sample elongation (mechanical plays, deformation of the gripping systems, ....), are discussed and a number of correcting procedures are proposed. Nevertheless, the results remained scattered. Considering the “flat” evolution of strain at failure with temperature in the domain of brittle behaviour, this makes it rather difficult to accurately define the temperature for failure at 1% elongation (T_ε=1%). This is also the case when this temperature is located in the zone of transition between brittle and ductile behaviour. The authors suggest that, together with the corresponding tensile strain, this “transition temperature” could be used as an alternative criterion which has the advantage of being linked to a physical behaviour of the material.     

SMC常温改性沥青的改性机理及高低温性能研究

为了探究SMC常温改性剂的微观改性机理以及不同掺量SMC改性剂对沥青高低温性能的影响并优选出SMC常温改性沥青的最佳低温评价指标。通过研究SMC常温改性剂的合成路线及红外光谱图探索其改性机理;通过温度扫描试验对不同掺量SMC常温改性沥青的高温稳定性评价;而后基于弯曲流变仪（BBR）试验,比较了不同温度下不同掺量的SMC常温改性沥青的蠕变劲度模量S,蠕变速率m_c和基于Burgers模型建立的新的低温综合柔量J_C,采用频率扫描试验并基于时温等效原理确定其主曲线和玻璃态转变温度T_g,研究掺量对沥青低温柔性的影响;最后结合混合料低温小梁弯曲试验验证不同低温评价指标S,m_c,J_C,T_g的有效性。结果表明,SMC的改性机理类似于表面活性剂,通过改变沥青分子的表面张力以达到常温拌和目的;SMC常温改性剂的加入对高温性能产生不利影响,且掺量增加负面效果越明显;比较S,m_c,J_C,T_g发现SMC改性剂能改善沥...     

盐冻循环条件下改性沥青的细观结构及低温流变性能

冬季由于低温路面经常会被冰雪覆盖,融雪盐是对路面进行融雪化冰的主要方式之一。为了研究盐冻循环前后的基质沥青、SBS（苯乙烯-丁二烯-苯乙烯嵌段共聚物）改性沥青和胶粉改性沥青的细观结构和低温流变性能变化,利用SEM和弯曲梁流变仪（BBR）对其测试。结果表明:改性剂以特定的结构形态存在于沥青中,二者具有良好的相容性,这种形态可以更好地吸附沥青,提高沥青的低温弹性或韧性,进而改善了沥青的低温性能。盐冻循环破坏了沥青的结构,影响了沥青的低温抗裂性能。经历盐冻循环后沥青的蠕变劲度模量增大、蠕变速率减小,低温抗裂和应力松弛能力降低,但改性沥青低温性能总体上优于基质沥青。因此建议北方等寒冷地区尽量选用改性沥青作为路面材料。      

Study on viscosity of conventional and polymer modified asphalt binders in steady and dynamic shear domain

This study focuses on evaluating the flow behavior of conventional and polymer modified asphalt binders in steady- and dynamic-shear domain, for a temperature range of 20–70 °C, using a Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR). Steady-shear viscosity and frequency sweep tests were carried out on two conventional (VG 10 and VG 30) and two polymer (SBS and EVA) modified asphalt binders. Applicability of the Cox–Merz principle was evaluated and complex viscosity master curves were analyzed at five different reference temperatures. Cross model was used to simulate the complex viscosity master curves at different temperatures.It was found that asphalt binders exhibited shear-thinning behavior at all the test temperatures. The critical shear rate increased with increase in temperature and was found to be lowest for plastomeric modified asphalt binder. The Cox–Merz principle was found to be valid in the zero-shear viscosity (ZSV) domain and deviated at higher frequency/shear rate for all the binders. Results from the study indicated that the ratio of ZSV can be successfully used as shift factors for construction of master curves at different reference temperatures. Cross model was found to be suitable in simulating the complex viscosity master curves at all the test temperatures. Analysis of model parameters indicated that a strong relationship exists between ZSV and the critical shear rate. ZSV and critical shear rate varied exponentially with temperature. This relationship was used to propose a simple equation for assessing the shift factors for construction of master curves.     

Determination of the shear modulus of orthotropic materials from off-axis tension tests

The paper is concerned with the study of the possibility to determine the shear modulus of orthotropic materials using testing under tension in the direction making some angle with the principal material axis. Conditions that should be imposed on the material properties providing the possibility of this test are derived and analyzed in application to composite materials.     

降黏型温拌胶粉改性沥青高低温性能试验

通过动态剪切流变试验(DSR)和小梁弯曲蠕变劲度试验(BBR),对添加不同掺量(1%、2%、3%)有机降黏剂(LP)的胶粉改性沥青(CR)高低温性能进行研究。结果表明:LP的添加使胶粉改性沥青的高温性能得到改善,复数剪切模量G*增大,相位角δ减小,且随着LP掺量的增加,其高温抗变形能力逐渐增强。对于低温性能,LP的添加可以提高胶粉改性沥青的低温性能,但不同温度下,随着降黏剂LP掺量的增加,其低温抗裂性能呈减小趋势,对改善胶粉改性沥青低温性能有一定的负面影响,且随着温度的降低,LP对胶粉改性沥青的低温性能改善效果减小,不同掺量对其影响相差不大。     

Reconsideration of the fatigue tests for asphalt mixtures and binders containing high percentage RAP

When applying reclaimed asphalt technology in a flexible pavement project, most performance concerns are related to low temperature and fatigue cracking since the stiffness of the HMA mixture could dramatically increase through adding a high percentage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) material. The purpose of this study is to evaluate asphalt mixtures with high RAP contents, prepared using two RAP addition methods, for their performance based on fatigue-cracking resistance rather than relying on volumetric properties. Asphalt mixture samples were prepared with three RAP binder content replacement percentages (30, 40 and 50%) using two preparation methods: the as-is RAP gradation (traditional method) and the splitting of the RAP gradation into coarse and fine fractions (fractionated method). Asphalt mixture beam fatigue and binder fatigue time-sweep tests were performed. Beam fatigue samples also underwent freeze–thaw cycling for freeze–thaw damage evaluation. Rather than basing the performance based solely on S–N_f curves to illustrate the fatigue performance, the beam fatigue test data was analysed through a dissipated energy approach. Faster fatigue degradation was observed for the 40% RAP binder and beam mixture when subjected to repeated loading. From a morphology aspect, this can be explained by the binder’s phase separation and physical hardening effects.     

包装废PE改性沥青高低温性能研究

利用包装废弃物(PE)对沥青进行改性,同时解决了"白色污染"和沥青性能达不到实际应用要求的问题,通过改性沥青的高低温性能进行测试以及试验结果分析,对包装废PE改性沥青的高低温性能的机理进行了研究,表明包装废PE改性沥青具有良好的高低温性能.     

The measurement of specimen surface temperature in high-speed tension and torsion tests

A radiometric technique has been developed capable of measuring specimen surface temperatures as low as 25°C with a time resolution of ∼1 μs. The application of this technique to SHPB tests at strain rates of the order of 1000/s in both tension and torsion is described. In the torsion test results are obtained both during uniform deformation, using a single element radiometer, and during localised deformation and the onset of fracture, using a 12-element radiometer. In the tension test the same 12-element radiometer was used to obtain the surface temperature distribution along each half of the broken specimen immediately after fracture. The proportion of work converted to heat, β, has been calculated using the temperature data from torsion tests and was found to vary with increasing plastic strain from approximately 0.2 to approaching 0.7.     

Some low temperature transport properties and superconductivity of NbSe2 grown by direct vapor transport

A procedure for the preparation of 2HNbSe₂ single crystals by a direct vapor transport method is reported. Crystals grown by this method and the iodine vapor transport method have been studied in a comparative fashion. The effect of iodine and other impurities on some of the low temperature transport properties including superconductive parameters is discussed.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of the modified layer obtained by low temperature plasma nitriding of nanocrystallized 18Ni maraging steel

In the present study, low temperature plasma nitriding of nanocrystallized 18Ni maraging steel has been carried out at 360 °C from 1 to 24 h in a mixed gas of 25%N₂ + 75%H₂. The surface phase constitutions and microstructures of the nitrided layer have been investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy and optical microscopy. Nanoindentation and microhardness tests have been performed to determine the surface hardness and the hardness profile in the nitrided layer. The plasticity of the nitrided surface has been analyzed based on the nanoindentation results. The results show that at the initial stage of nitriding, the surface phase consists of a solid solution of nitrogen in α-Fe, and nanoscale nitrides and aging phase are formed with increasing of treatment time. The surfaces nitrided for 8 and 16 h possess the highest hardness. The plasticity factor calculations suggest that the nitrided surfaces have a good wear resistance and possess excellent plasticity.     

盐冻循环条件下沥青高低温性能的灰关联熵分析

利用动态剪切流变仪(DSR)和弯曲梁流变仪(BBR)对冻融循环前后的三种沥青(沥青、苯乙烯-丁二烯-苯乙烯嵌段共聚物(SBS)改性沥青、胶粉改性沥青)进行测试,比较分析不同冰冻温度、融雪盐浓度、冻融循环次数下三种沥青的高低温性能变化规律,并对环境因素进行灰熵分析。结果表明:在盐冻循环条件下对沥青复合模量G*影响最大的因素是融雪盐溶液浓度,其次是10℃延度;对沥青相位角δ影响最大的因素是软化点,其次是25℃针入度;对沥青蠕变劲度模量S影响最大的因素是融雪盐溶液浓度,其次是10℃延度;对沥青蠕变速率m影响最大的因素是试验温度,其次是冰冻温度。     

Validation of time temperature superposition principle for high modulus asphalt concrete in the linear viscoelastic and fatigue domains

Validation of time–temperature superposition principle (TTSP) in the fatigue domain for a high modulus asphalt concrete (HMAC) is presented in this paper. All tests were performed in tension-compression under strain control mode. First, TTSP was validated in the linear viscoelastic domain. Then, fatigue tests were performed under three loading conditions, 9.2°C and 5 Hz, 11.0°C and 10 Hz and 12.9°C and 20 Hz, which are equivalent regarding TTSP. Two fatigue protocols were adopted: continuous fatigue test (FT) and fatigue test with rest period (FTRP). For FT, three samples were tested at 180μm/m for each loading condition whereas for FTRP, one sample was tested at 100 μm/m. The data were analysed by comparing the dynamic modulus evolution as a function of time or the fatigue life duration. The results showed that HMAC with fatigue damage remains thermorheologically simple (i.e., respects the TTSP) in the studied temperatures range.     

Input error sensitivity of hardness and elastic modulus evaluated from indentation load-displacement records by Oliver and Pharr method

Due to its straightforwardness and the ease of implementation the Oliver-Pharr method [1] has been used in the analysis of load-displacement records for more than a decade now. This paper provides analytical expressions relating the errors in the hardness and elastic modulus obtained by this method to systematic calibration errors of measured depth, force and frame compliance for spherical and sharp indentation. While in systems with zero frame compliance the sensitivity ratios for depth and force measurement were found to be constant, in systems with a finite frame compliance the error sensitivity changes with the absolute values of applied force and measured depth. The analytical predictions are compared with the true variation in derived materials parameters and the ranges of validity of the expressions are established. The error sensitivity with respect to different input variables and its implications for the actual measurement are discussed.