Field and laboratory evaluation of winter season pavement pothole patching materials

This paper presents an experimental study in which field survey and laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of asphalt patching mixtures designed for winter season pothole repairs. Special laboratory procedures, including adhesiveness, cohesion, moisture susceptibility and loaded wheel tests, were investigated and modified to evaluate the bonding, freeze–thaw resistance and rutting potentials of the patching materials. The influence of different factors, including freeze condition, traffic level, speed limit, patch size and depth, on patching performance was analysed based on a statistical analysis of 6-month field survey. Effects of testing conditions were investigated for testing pothole patching materials with cohesion, freeze–thaw and loaded wheel tests. It was found that testing temperatures, laboratory sample compaction efforts as well as wheel loading in loaded wheel test significantly affected the testing results of pothole patching materials. Proper modifications were recommended to improve the effectiveness of the laboratory tests.     

Analysis of the influence of binder properties on the mechanical response of bituminous mixtures

Asphalt mixtures are composed by a mass of aggregates (more than 90% of their total weight), which are bonded by a bituminous binder. Despite the fact that the binder is not the main component of these materials (around 5% of their total weight), it exerts a high influence on their mechanical response. In this sense, the service life of asphalt pavements will directly depend on the type of binder used, and thus an adequate choice is crucial to construct more durable roads. Because of this fact, it is necessary to know the characteristics of the bitumen in order to reduce the impact of different distresses that appear on roads. For this purpose, this paper studies the influence of the binder properties in the appearance of the main distresses that affect asphalt pavements around the world (stripping, fatigue cracking and plastic deformations). Five bitumens with different properties have been analysed during this research using diverse binder (UCL, multiple stress creep and recovery test and dynamic shear rheometer time sweep) and mixture (water sensitivity, wheel tracking and UGR-FACT) tests. The results obtained show that the properties of the binder influence the long-term performance of bituminous mixtures. In this sense, it can be said that flexible binders which are able to recover plastic deformations could extend the service life of the pavements.     

基于细观力学的纤维沥青混凝土有效松弛模量

为了研究纤维沥青混凝土的本构模型,将其视为以沥青混合料为粘弹性基体,纤维为弹性夹杂的两相复合材料。对基于复合材料细观力学理论建立的有效模量表达式进行了修正,提出了纤维沥青混凝土的割线有效松弛模量。以聚酯纤维沥青混凝土为例进行了有效松弛模量的解析分析和模拟蠕变实验的有限元分析,分析结果与试验数据的比较表明,该文提出的割线有效松弛模量模型对于纤维沥青混凝土粘弹性力学行为具有很好的预测能力。应用该模型对路面弯沉变形进行了有限元分析,结果表明:纤维的加入有效的改善了沥青混凝土路面的粘弹性性能。     

Pavement repair strategy and construction technology for Bangabadhu multipurpose bridge

In this communication, the pavement repair strategy for the Bangabadhu multipurpose bridge has been optimized. The former design of the repair strategy includes six parts of repairing cracks with epoxy adhesive, 1.4 mm thick carbon fiber reinforced polymer (carbon fiber reinforced polymer), 5 mm thick thermal insulation, 6–12 mm surface material non‐shrink mortar grout, 5 mm thick waterproofing membrane, and 50 mm thick mastic asphalt. The optimized repair proposal includes five parts of repairing cracks with epoxy adhesive, 1.4 mm thick carbon fiber reinforced polymer, 4–10 mm thick epoxy resin motar grout, 5 mm thick epoxy asphalt waterproofing adhesive coat, and 50 mm thick stone mastic asphalt. In addition, the requirements for the materials selection and specific technology for the construction processes has also been provided.     

Gradation design of porous asphalt mixture (PAM) for low-strength application in wet environment

Porous asphalt mixture (PAM) is potentially suitable for application in wet environment given its excellent performance in drainage due to the typical open-graded design, whilst ravelling and clogging are the two major issues directly related to the functional service life of PAM pavements. With the increasing up-build of non-motorised transport facility in Singapore which is a tropical country with frequent thunderstorms during monsoon periods, it deserves research into designing well-performing PAM for low-strength pavements such as pedestrian and cycling pathways. In this research, two areas are researched on designing appropriate PAM: firstly, relationship between gradation design and permeability performance is established and 7% content of fine aggregates is selected to achieve adequate coefficient of permeability for Singapore; secondly, four aggregate gradations with different packing structures created by the coarse aggregates were designed, and the performance was evaluated in the aspect of permeability, mechanical strength, resistance to ravelling and resistance to clogging. Three testing scenarios were applied in ravelling and clogging tests, which were unconditioned, ageing-conditioned and moisture-conditioned. It is found that moisture exposure is a more severe condition than ageing on PAM’s performance. On the whole, PAM with high content of intermediate size aggregates (i.e. 6.3–4.75 mm) in the coarse fraction and low content (i.e. lower than 7%) of fine fraction is suggested for low-strength PAM pavement in Singapore.     

Influence of cement content and environmental humidity on asphalt emulsion and cement composites performance

Asphalt and cement concrete are the most popular materials used in the construction of roads, highways, bridge deck surface layers and pavements in airports and other areas with heavy wheel roads. Whereas asphalt possesses, compared to concrete, the advantages of a short curing period, high skid resistance and easy maintenance, it also shows lower fatigue durability, ravelling and rutting due to repeated concentrated loads and susceptibility to temperature changes and moisture. On the other hand, concrete pavements are initially more expensive, have lower driving comfort and are susceptible to cracking due to volume changes and to salt damage. A material with low-environmental impact and with advantages of both asphalt and concrete may be obtained by combining bitumen emulsions and a cementitious material. In this paper, cold asphalt mixtures with different amounts of cement were tested with Marshall stability tests. Selected mixtures were also cured at different environmental relative humidity (35, 70 and 90 % RH). By monitoring the mass of the specimens and estimating the water bound by the cement, the total water remaining in the mixtures was calculated. Details of the microstructure in the mixtures were examined with X-ray microtomography. According to the results of the present study, cement contributes to the hardening of cold asphalt mixtures both by creating cement paste bridges between the aggregates and by removing water from the mixtures through cement hydration. Asphalt and cement composites appear to be promising materials for implementation in real pavements, although their rate of hardening needs to be improved further.     

Development of mechanomutable asphalt binders for the construction of smart pavements

A new generation of asphalt binders with mecanomutable properties has been developed, with the aim of obtaining smart materials able to adapt their mechanical performance to the real changing load conditions that occur during their service life. These materials are composed of a bituminous matrix that has been modified with magnetic particles that are able to change the mechanical behavior of the binder when they are activated by a magnetic field. This study examines the main variables that govern the mechanical behavior of these materials. The mechanomutable performance of different binders has been demonstrated under various concentrations of magnetic particles. In particular, these binders could increase their stiffness and perform elastically when they are activated by a magnetic field (even at high temperatures), which, once removed, enables the initial properties of the binders to be recovered. The changes induced in the properties of the binder depend on the amount of magnetic particles, the intensity of the magnetic field, and the type of bituminous matrix. The findings open up the possibility of a wide field of applications for its implementation in smart infrastructures, with special interest in the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of asphalt pavements.     

Field performance of top-down fatigue cracking for warm mix asphalt pavements

As a result of repeated rehabilitation efforts over the past few decades, often asphalt pavements have become deep-strength pavements. Consequently, top-down cracking has become a primary distress type. In particular, the top-down cracking performance of warm mix asphalt (WMA) pavements, i.e. how does it compare with similar hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements is largely unclear mainly due to the lack of field performance data. This paper presents an effort of monitoring the top-down cracking performance of 28 pavement projects including WMA pavements and their corresponding HMA control pavements with service lives ranging between 4 and 10 years. These pavements cover different climate zones, WMA technologies, service years, pavement structures and traffic volume levels. Two rounds of distress surveys were conducted at a two-year interval, and the material (asphalt binder and mixture) properties of the pavements were determined using field cores. The top-down cracking performance of the HMA and WMA pavements was compared based on the first and second round distress surveys. It was found that the HMA and WMA pavement in general exhibited comparable performance. The significant determinants (material properties) for top-down cracking were determined, which were vertical failure deformation of mixes measured at 20 °C from indirect tension test.     

Effect of load control mode on the fatigue performance of asphalt binder

Fatigue cracking is one of the major distresses found in asphalt pavements. The ability of asphalt binder to resist the accumulation of fatigue damage can have a profound effect on the service life of asphalt pavements. However, different from other materials, the fatigue characteristics of asphalt binder depend heavily on the load control mode. That is the fatigue characteristics of asphalt binder under controlled-stress mode differ from those under controlled-strain mode. This discrepancy affects the analysis results of asphalt binder fatigue performance. Therefore, this study is aimed at analyzing the effects of the load control mode on the fatigue performance of asphalt binder through a comparison of the fatigue characteristics under two different load control modes. The effect range of the load control mode was confirmed, and the method to differentiate the region affected by load control modes from the region not affected by load control modes was put forward. The relationship between the fatigue performances of asphalt binder under different control modes was analysed. Based on the results, it is concluded that the fatigue process can be divided into two regions using the curve of normalized dynamic modulus versus normalized phase angle. And, if the controlled stress and the controlled strain are equivalent levels, the fatigue characteristics of asphalt binder are independent of load control modes in the first region. The accumulated dissipated energy at the division point of the two regions is independent of both control modes and load levels, and serves as the effect threshold of the load control mode. Besides, the curve of accumulated dissipated energy versus number of cycles under controlled-stress mode is symmetrical to that curve under controlled-strain mode.     

Adhesive bonding of carbon fiber reinforced composite using UV-curing epoxy resin

Carbon fiber reinforced materials are widely used in a variety of products due to their stiffness, high strength and light weight. However, the strength of fiber reinforced composites will dramatically decrease when they have suffered damage from impact. Therefore, repair is necessary to maintain integrity. In many cases, speed of this repair is paramount. In this work, UV resins adhered to a damaged panel to form a hard patch are considered for fast repair. The challenge in using UV curing resins on carbon fiber reinforced materials is the non-UV transparency of the composite. In this work, a cationic UV epoxy resin is used due to its characteristic of dark polymerization after UV exposure. ASTM lap shear testing showed the shear stress was above 1000 psi. However, the large scale testing failed due to partial curing of adhesive before repair indicating that control in dosing and resin delivery is critical, yet problematic.     

Contextual heat island assessment for pavement preservation

Pavement preservation (PP) is a planned set of construction and material interventions that can extend the pavement’s service life and may also impact sustainability through Heat Island (HI) mitigation. The HI mitigation potential can vary from location-to-location and with time. For agencies to widely adopt the PP, it is necessary to quantify the benefits based on the context of the project. A method to calculate the Global Warming Potential (GWP) for the HI effect was developed and illustrated for four cities in the US: Chicago, Austin, San Diego and Philadelphia, for hypothetical pavements with three preservation options: chip seals, a concrete inlay, and an asphalt concrete inlay. The use phase GWP with respect to HI was estimated for all cases given a 2-, 5-, 7- or 10-year service life. Overall, the HI in the use phase was found to dominate the total GWP relative to the materials and construction phases. The HI GWP savings increase over time, with the 10-year savings being greatest for San Diego using the concrete inlay (22.5?kg CO₂-eq/m²) and smallest for Chicago with a chip seal (8.0?kg CO₂-eq/m²). The savings were found to increase in areas that have a more pronounced HI and could offset GWP in the other phases. The proposed method allows agencies to estimate HI GWP for a specific preservation strategy, location and service life.     

Study of adhesion characteristics of different bitumen–aggregate combinations using bitumen bond strength test

The resistance of asphalt pavements to traffic loading and environmental deterioration depends on the mechanical coupling of the selected bitumen–aggregate material, bitumen–aggregate interfacial properties, and cohesion of bitumen. Studies have shown that bitumen–aggregate bond strength strongly depends on the composition of the two components, and the extent of exposure to moisture. For satisfactory performance of bituminous pavements, there is a need to choose suitable combinations of bitumen and aggregate materials. This paper evaluates the adhesion of different bitumen–aggregate combinations in dry and wet conditions in the form of pull-off tensile strength using bitumen bond strength (BBS) test. Tests were carried out after conditioning the selected combinations for 24, 48, and 72 h. The results indicated that the bond strength reduces with the passage of time for the samples exposed to moisture while it increases if samples are left in the dry condition. Results show that the strength values are also affected by the aggregates’ nature. Samples containing basic aggregates showed good results in comparison to the acidic aggregates under moisture conditioning. Significance of aggregates type, bitumen type, curing condition, and curing time on pull-off tensile strength of bitumen–aggregate samples was also studied. Curing condition showed maximum significance on bond strength.     

Introducing a new specimen shape to assess the fatigue performance of asphalt mastic by dynamic shear rheometer testing

Early failure of asphalt pavements is a common issue all around the world. Damages are caused by various reasons like insufficient binder or aggregate quality, an inadequate mix design or improper handling in the production/construction process. The effects of binder, aggregates and mix design have been widely studied and state-of-the-art testing methods are available for both, hot-mix asphalt (HMA) and for each component. An important part in HMA belongs to the asphalt mastic, where no standardized method is available to allow a quality control. Asphalt mastic is the mix of bitumen with aggregates smaller than 63 (125) µm and covers the coarse aggregates as the actual binding component in the mix. This research aims at developing a testing method for asphalt mastic based on fatigue tests. The dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) was found as a suitable device for this purpose. The DSR fatigue test consists of the 8 mm parallel-plate geometry widely used for binder performance grading with a sample height of 3 mm. Instead of a cylindrical specimen shape, a hyperboloid of one sheet is applied. This shape predetermines the point of failure and prevents adhesion/interface failures between the mastic specimen and the upper or lower DSR stainless steel plate. The specimens are prepared directly in the DSR employing a silicone mould to ensure an exact specimen shape. This test can be applied to all DSR devices without costly changes or additional equipment as long as sufficient cooling capacity and torque can be provided from the DSR. This fatigue test makes it possible to assess the fatigue performance of binders and mastic samples.     

The effect of loading time on flexible pavement dynamic response: a finite element analysis

Dynamic response of asphalt concrete (AC) pavements under moving load is a key component for accurate prediction of flexible pavement performance. The time and temperature dependency of AC materials calls for utilizing advanced material characterization and mechanistic theories, such as viscoelasticity and stress/strain analysis. In layered elastic analysis, as implemented in the new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), the time dependency is accounted for by calculating the loading times at different AC layer depths. In this study, the time effect on pavement response was evaluated by means of the concept of “pseudo temperature.” With the pavement temperature measured from instrumented thermocouples, the time and temperature dependency of AC materials was integrated into one single factor, termed “effective temperature.” Via this effective temperature, pavement responses under a transient load were predicted through finite element analysis. In the finite element model, viscoelastic behavior of AC materials was characterized through relaxation moduli, while the layers with unbound granular material were assumed to be in an elastic mode. The analysis was conducted for two different AC mixtures in a simplified flexible pavement structure at two different seasons. Finite element analysis results reveal that the loading time has a more pronounced impact on pavement response in the summer for both asphalt types. The results indicate that for reasonable prediction of dynamic response in flexible pavements, the effect of the depth-dependent loading time on pavement temperature should be considered.     

Experimental investigation on preparation and performance of clear asphalt

Abstract

Coloured micro-surfacing technology has become increasingly popular in pavement construction because of its economic benefit and ability to accept traffic quickly. The main goal of this study was to produce a clear asphalt with superior performance that can be easily emulsified. Two types of resin that are easy to emulsify and one kind of extract oil were used to synthesise the clear asphalt. The clear asphalt was mixed with a styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) modifier at different proportions using a mechanical agitator. The physical properties of the samples were determined via conventional bitumen tests and the optimum formula was obtained by changing the mixture ratio through orthogonal experimentation. The thin-film oven test evaluated the ageing property of the clear asphalt. The surface energy components corresponding to the advancing process and the receding process were determined using the Wilhelmy plate method. The surface free energy (SFE) of the aggregates was measured with a gravimetric sorption analyser. The adhesive bond energies between asphalt samples and aggregates were calculated using their SFE components to evaluate their properties of fracture and healing. Results show that depending on the amount and type of resin added, different synthetic clear asphalts can be obtained. Further, the clear asphalt mixed with SBS is capable of synthesising better properties at high or low temperature. The clear asphalt with aggregates had fracture and healing properties similar to common base asphalt.     

A mechanistic approach to evaluate the potential of the debonding distress in asphalt pavements

The debonding distress in asphalt pavement structures is a critical problem that affects the performance of asphalt concrete pavements. It occurs at the layer interface due to the poor bond quality between adjacent asphalt concrete layers and/or when stresses at the layer interface exceed the strengths of the material at the interface. The debonding of the adjacent layers, especially the top surface layer of an asphalt pavement, is a contributing factor to the premature cracking of pavements. Hence, the debonding distress can lead to a reduction in the life of the pavement. This paper presents an analytical and experimental framework to evaluate the potential for debonding at the layer interface of asphalt concrete pavements. Computational analysis was performed to determine the critical stress and strain states in layered asphalt pavements under moving vehicle loads using the Layered ViscoElastic pavement analysis for Critical Distresses (LVECD) computer program developed at North Carolina State University. This computational analysis enables a greater understanding of the critical stress that is involved in debonding and the ways that such stress is affected by pavement design parameters and environmental conditions. In addition, a prediction model was developed that can determine the shear bond strength at the interface of asphalt concrete layers with different tack coat materials at various temperatures, loading rates and normal confining stresses. The systematic and mechanistic framework developed in this study employs the maximum shear ratio concept as a shear failure criterion and provides a tool to evaluate the effects of various loading, environmental and pavement factors on the debonding potential of asphalt pavements. The overall advantages of the mechanistic framework and approach using the LVECD analysis tool will help lead to better understanding of the debonding mechanism, proper selection of the tack coats, and economic benefit in highway pavement maintenance and rehabilitation costs.     

A dynamic oscillatory test that fulfills the objective of the elastic recovery test for asphalt binders

The ductilometer is currently being used by the asphalt pavement community for determination of elastic recovery of asphalt materials. Briquet specimens are pulled apart at 5 cm/min, held after a specified elongation, then severed at the center and allowed to recover undisturbed for 1 h with the idea of getting a measure of the ability of the asphalt material to recover after imposing a deformation. Materials with poor ability to recover are known to lend themselves to permanent deformation resulting in rutting of pavements. The Superpave specification parameter |G*|/sinδ recommended by the Strategic Highway Research Program was found not to relate well with observed rutting of mixtures that used polymer-modified asphalts with increased elastic behavior. This led researchers to seek methods to refine this parameter. While refinement efforts have been ongoing, there has been an inclination on the part of a number of State Departments of Transportation to use the elastic recovery test to complement the Superpave specification tests. However, the elastic recovery test is truly not very elegant and accurate, and often fails to discriminate between the behaviors of differently modified binders. The present work suggests a dynamic oscillatory test using the dynamic shear rheometer DSR that would fulfill the objectives of the elastic recovery test. The elastic recovery term and the condition under which it is determined from DSR data are selected by observation of master plots of a wide variety of asphalt binders. The criterion is developed by observing the ability of the selected term in best discriminating asphalt binders for their elastic recovery behavior. It is recommended that the term cosδ determined at a temperature T = 82°C and frequency ω = 1 radian/s be used to assess the elastic recovery of asphalt materials. Cosδ (T = 82°C, ω = 1) > 0.04 is recommended as the criterion for acceptance of required elastic recovery behavior. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this document are those of the author only and not necessarily of the Federal Highway Administration or any other researcher at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center.     

Processing and hygrothermal effects on viscoelastic behavior of glass fiber/epoxy composites

Fiber reinforced epoxy composites are used in a wide variety of applications in the aerospace field. These materials have high specific moduli, high specific strength and their properties can be tailored to application requirements. In order to screening optimum materials behavior, the effects of external environments on the mechanical properties during usage must be clearly understood. The environmental action, such as high moisture concentration, high temperatures, corrosive fluids or ultraviolet radiation (UV), can affect the performance of advanced composites during service. These factors can limit the applications of composites by deteriorating the mechanical properties over a period of time. Properties determination is attributed to the chemical and/or physical damages caused in the polymer matrix, loss of adhesion of fiber/resin interface, and/or reduction of fiber strength and stiffness. The dynamic elastic properties are important characteristics of glass fiber reinforced composites (GRFC). They control the damping behavior of composite structures and are also an ideal tool for monitoring the development of GFRC’s mechanical properties during their processing or service. One of the most used tests is the vibration damping. In this work, the measurement consisted of recording the vibration decay of a rectangular plate excited by a controlled mechanism to identify the elastic and damping properties of the material under test. The frequency amplitude were measured by accelerometers and calculated by using a digital method. The present studies have been performed to explore relations between the dynamic mechanical properties, damping test and the influence of high moisture concentration of glass fiber reinforced composites (plain weave). The results show that the E’ decreased with the increase in the exposed time for glass fiber/epoxy composites specimens exposed at 80^∘C and 90% RH. The E’ values found were: 26.7, 26.7, 25.4, 24.7 and 24.7 GPa for 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days of exposure, respectively.     

Heterogeneity effects on mixed‐mode I/II stress intensity factors and fracture path of laboratory asphalt mixtures in the shape of SCB specimen

Edge cracked semi‐circular shape specimen subjected to three point bend loading is a favourite test specimen for determining fracture toughness of asphalt mixtures. However, in the vast majority of previous experimental works, the homogeneous medium assumption has been considered for determining the stress intensity factor and geometry factors of asphalt mixtures tested with this test configuration. As a more realistic model and in order to consider the effects of heterogeneity on corresponding values of stress intensity factors, the asphalt mixture was modelled as a two‐phase aggregate/mastic heterogeneous mixture and its fracture behaviour was investigated using numerical models of asymmetric semi‐circular bend (ASCB) specimens. The generation and packing algorithm was employed to randomly distribute the aggregates with different shapes and sizes inside the mastic part. The effect of the mechanical properties of asphalt mixture (elastic modulus and the Poisson's ratios of aggregates and mastic), coarse aggregates distribution and crack length were studied on modes I and II geometry factors by means of extensive two‐dimensional finite element analyses. Moreover, the effect of the elastic modulus of asphalt mixture components was evaluated on the fracture path using the maximum tangential stress criterion. It was shown that crack tip location, elastic modulus of aggregates and mastic are the most important affecting parameters on the magnitude of modes I and II geometry factors. It was also shown that the geometry factors are not sensitive to the Poisson's ratios of aggregates and mastic. In addition, fracture cracking path is affected by the elastic modulus of the asphalt mixture components such that, depending on the difference between the stiffness of stiffer coarse aggregates and softer mastic part, the crack may propagate either through the aggregates, mastic or interface of aggregate/mastic.     

Mean damage parameter for the characterization of fatigue cracking behavior in bituminous mixes

The optimization of the laboratory mix design is crucial to improve the performance of the asphalt mixes during its service life. For this purpose it is necessary the use of tools that can efficiently measure the mechanical response of these materials. Fatigue cracking is one the main distresses that occurs in pavements around the world. During the laboratory tests, this phenomenon is difficult to characterize because of its heterogeneous nature (disperse in the three dimensions and random). In order to improve the characterization of the fatigue cracking behavior of asphalt mixes, this research proposes a new parameter (Mean Damage Parameter), which combines the dissipated energy concepts and the phenomenological approach (number of cycles which cause its fail). This paper shows the basics of this parameter, and the results obtained in a study carried out to evaluate its efficiency as a tool for the improvement in the laboratory mix design.