Prevention of Low Temperature Cracking of Asphalt Pavements Using the Bending Beam Rheometer

An evaluation of the ability of the Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) as a test to determine changes in the low temperature properties of asphalt mixture parameters was conducted, along with the possible implications of adopting this test for low temperature pavement performance. It was found that the creep modulus and the m-value from the BBR are able to detect changes in binder content and air voids. The test indicates that Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is detrimental to the overall expected performance of the mixtures when compared with a mixture with no RAP. The BBR appears to be a sensitive test capable of capturing the effect of aging and RAP on the material. It was found that aging of the loose mixture at 135°C prior to compaction shows a more consistent trend than aging the compacted specimen at 80°C. One hour of loose mix aging at 135°C results in the same mechanical changes as 47 to 55 hours of compacted mix aging at 80°C. Based on the results, it is concluded that adoption of the BBR as a required test might not affect the overall binder content of the mixtures but might affect the overall amount of RAP. The BBR appears to be capable of capturing the effect of aging and RAP on the material. Thus, adoption of the BBR as a specification test would likely result in changing the mixture design process to favor mixes with lower RAP content and less sensitivity to aging

• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=973
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/61984
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Utah, Salt Lake City

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  122 South Central Campus Drive, Suite 104
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84112

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Utah Department of Transportation

  Salt Lake City, UT  United States 
• Authors:
  • Romero, Pedro
• Publication Date: 2019-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 45p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aging (Materials); Air voids; Asphalt pavements; Binder content; Creep; Low temperature; Mix design; Pavement cracking; Pavement performance; Recycled materials; Rheometers
• Geographic Terms: Utah
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01723551
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC-19-405
• Contract Numbers: MPC-496
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 25 2019 11:54AM