EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF ASPHALT CONCRETE MIXES

THE MATERIALS AND RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS HAS BEEN CONDUCTING A RESEARCH STUDY ON THE EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF ASPHALT CONCRETE MIXES USING AGGREGATES RANGING FROM NONABSORPTIVE TO HIGHLY ABSORPTIVE. DATA INDICATE THAT AC TEST SPECIMENS FABRICATED FROM ABSORPTIVE AGGREGATES AND EXPOSED TO NORMAL ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ABSORB MOISTURE FROM THE AIR WHICH MAY CAUSE CONSIDERABLE EXPANSION. DURING THE WARMEST HOURS OF THE DAY, THESE EXPANDED SPECIMENS CONTRACT, CAUSING TRANSVERSE OR SO-CALLED BLOCK CRACKING. IDENTICAL SPECIMENS KEPT IN A DRY STORAGE CABINET DID NOT EXHIBIT THIS PHENOMENON. THE TYPE OF CRACKING FOUND IN PAVEMENTS APPEARS THE SAME AS OBSERVED IN LABORATORY SPECIMENS WHEN BOTH ARE FABRICATED FROM THE SAME HIGHLY ABSORPTIVE AGGREGATES. STRAINS CREATED IN PAVEMENT BY THIS CYCLE OF EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION, TOGETHER WITH DEFLECTIONS IMPOSED BY LOADS, MAY CAUSE A SERIOUS REDUCTION IN SERVICE LIFE. THIS STUDY PRESENTS DATA SHOWING THAT EXPANSION CAN BE REDUCED BY CERTAIN MINERAL FILLERS AND INCREASED BY OTHERS. EXPANSION CAN ALSO BE GREATLY REDUCED BY INCREASING THE ASPHALT CONTENT OF THE MIX CONSISTENT WITH OTHER SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1965/104/104-008.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Zube, Ernest
  • Cechetini, James
• Publication Date: 1965

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 141-163
• Monograph Title: Surface treatments, bituminous mixtures and pavements
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 104
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Absorption; Aggregates; Asphalt concrete; Asphalt content; Bituminous mixtures; Contraction; Expansion; Mineral fillers; Moisture content; Pavement cracking; Reduction (Chemistry); Research
• Geographic Terms: California
• Old TRIS Terms: Reduction
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00210274
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 29 1994 12:00AM