Asphalt Mix Fracture Energy Based Reflective Cracking Performance Criteria

Asphalt overlays are widely used to maintain pavements but usually exhibit a substantially shorter life span as compared to conventional asphalt pavements due to prevailing reflective cracks. Various methods exist to enhance the reflective cracking performance of overlays, however, there is a lack of well-developed guidance that helps to select mixtures and overlay thicknesses for a given pavement scenario. The thickness of the overlay and mix cracking performance properties have been shown to be major factors that control the rate and severity of reflective cracking. Therefore, this study investigates the dependence of overlay field cracking performance on overlay thickness and fracture energy of the mix. Preliminary thresholds are proposed for selection of overlay thicknesses and material types in new overlays. A total of 15 pavement sections in Minnesota for which disk-shaped compact tension (DCT) testing was performed on field cores from overlays were used for this study. Due to the difference in the overlay lives, different cracking performance measures such as average transverse cracking rate (ATCR), maximum transverse cracking rate (MTCR) and transverse cracking performance index (TCTotal) were calculated. These cracking performance measures were compared with asphalt overlay thicknesses and DCT fracture energies. The analysis indicated the dependence of TCTotal on both overlay thickness and fracture energy. The observed relationship was assessed for reliability using a statistical analysis and a new performance parameter that combines overlay thickness with fracture energy is proposed to provide a measure of total fracture resistance of the overlay.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFD60 Standing Committee on Design and Rehabilitation of Asphalt Pavements. Alternate title: Asphalt Mix Fracture Energy Based Reflective Cracking Performance Criteria for Overlay Mix Selection and Design.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Oshone, Mirkat
  • Dave, Eshan
  • 0000-0001-9788-2246
  • Daniel, Jo Sias
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 98th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2019-1-13 to 2019-1-17
• Date: 2019

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 8p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt mixtures; Bituminous overlays; Reflection cracking; Thickness; Transverse cracking
• Uncontrolled Terms: Disc compact tension tests; Fracture energy; Fracture resistance
• Geographic Terms: Minnesota
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01698385
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 19-04051
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 2 2019 3:41PM