Essential work of fracture approach to fatigue grading of asphalt binders

This paper considers the essential work of fracture approach to asphalt binder grading for fatigue performance. Earlier published test results (Andriescu et al., Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1875, 2004, pp. 1-8 and Andriescu et al., Proceedings of the Canadian Technical Asphalt Association, Vol. 49, 2004, pp. 93-122), are further analysed and subsequently validated with fatigue cracking data from the US Federal Highway Administration’s pavement testing facility (FHWA PTF), which has recently become available. Samples were tested in double-edge-notched tension (DENT) while the ligament length was varied. Duplicate measurements were generally found to be highly reproducible. Shapes of the load versus displacement records were found to be self-similar for all ligament lengths yet distinctly different between binders. The specific total work of fracture was plotted versus the ligament length to provide nearly straight lines. These observations validate the essential work of fracture approach to asphalt binder testing. The analysis of the DENT test results provides: (1) the essential work of fracture, we, a measure of the work done in the fracture process zone, (2) the plastic work of fracture, βwp, associated with energy absorbing processes away from the process zone, (3) the net section stress, σn, which provides an approximation for the tensile yield stress, σty, and (4) the critical crack tip opening displacement, δt (= we/σty), all in ductile failure. Binder parameters were compared with cracking rates in the respective lanes of the FHWA PTF. Only the δt property was able to correctly rank performance and provide a high correlation with cracking distress for all five PTF sections studied. A system containing fibres, showed surprisingly high essential and plastic works of fracture compared to other materials that were evaluated. This ability for damage delocalisation may well explain the fact that the corresponding PTF lane shows almost no cracking to date. Given the fact that δt is a proven fracture mechanics based parameter that provides a measure of strain tolerance in the presence of cracks in the brittle-to-ductile and ductile states, it deserves further investigation for fatigue ranking of asphalt binders. Eventually the authors envision the need for a comprehensive specification that includes limits on binder and perhaps mixture we, wp, and δt in the ductile state.

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