Investigation of Low Temperature Cracking in Asphalt Pavements: A Transportation Pooled Fund Study

Good fracture properties are an essential requirement for asphalt pavements built in the northern part of the US and in Canada for which the predominant failure mode is cracking due to high thermal stresses that develop at low temperatures. Currently, there is no agreement with respect to what experimental methods and analyses approaches to use to investigate the fracture resistance of asphalt materials and the fracture performance of asphalt pavements. This report presents a comprehensive research effort in which both traditional and new experimental protocols and analyses were applied to a statistically designed set of laboratory prepared specimens and to field samples from pavements with well documented performance to determine the best combination of experimental work and analyses to improve the low temperature fracture resistance of asphalt pavements. The two sets of materials were evaluated using current testing protocols, such as creep and strength for asphalt binders and mixtures as well as newly developed testing protocols, such as the disk compact tension test, single edge notched beam test, and semi circular bend test. Dilatometric measurements were performed on both asphalt binders and mixtures to determine the coefficient of thermal contraction. Discrete fracture and damage tools were utilized to model crack initiation and propagation in pavement systems using the finite element method and TCMODEL was used with the experimental data from the field samples to predict performance and compare it to the field performance data.

• Record URL:
  • https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14153/mndot.2701
• Record URL:
  • http://www.lrrb.org/media/reports/200743.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  • http://www.lrrb.org/media/reports/200743ts.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/38925
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

  Department of Civil Engineering, 500 Pillsbury Drive, SE
  Minneapolis, MN  United States  55455

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  Office of Materials, 1400 Gervais Avenue
  Maplewood, MN  United States  55109

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  Research Services and Library
  395 John Ireland Boulevard
  St Paul, MN  United States  55155
• Authors:
  • Marasteanu, Mihai O
  • Zofka, Adam
  • Turos, Mugurel
  • Li, Xinjun
  • Velasquez, Raul
  • Li, Xue
  • Buttlar, William Glen
  • Paulino, Glaucio H
  • Braham, Andrew F
  • Dave, Eshan
  • Ojo, Joshua
  • Bahia, Hussain U
  • Williams, Christopher
  • Bausano, Jason Paul
  • Gallistel, Allen
  • McGraw, James William
• Publication Date: 2007-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 338p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt mixtures; Asphalt pavements; Bituminous binders; Cracking; Creep; Finite element method; Fracture properties; Low temperature; Mathematical models; Pooled funds; Thermal stresses
• Uncontrolled Terms: Test protocols
• Geographic Terms: Canada; United States
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Materials; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01080912
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MN/RC 2007-43
• Contract Numbers: 81655 (wo) 128
• Files: NTL, TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 21 2007 3:28PM