A STUDY FOR LABORATORY IMPLEMENTATION OF FATIGUE MIX DESIGN PROCEDURES

This study has been concerned with the evaluation of material characteristics affecting the crack resistance of bituminous mixtures used in the State of Ohio. Four typical asphaltic mixtures conforming to Ohio's specifications were used. The evaluation of mixture characteristics was carried out using Marshall stability criteria, fracture toughness, dynamic modulus, modulus of resilience, indirect tensile strength and fatigue life estimation. It is shown that at low and intermediate service temperatures, the fatigue response is a controlling criterion, and the fatigue parameter A is found to be an adequate representation of mixture properties. It has been concluded that the fatigue-associated mixture design could be optimized using the principles of fracture mechanics.