Cracking performance sensitivity to material parameters of asphalt mixture in asphalt pavement with stabilized base with inorganic binders

Abstract

Abstract Fracture parameters of asphalt mixture have a great influence on reflective cracking propagation in asphalt pavement with stabilized base with inorganic binders, which is generally constructed in heavy traffic region. Many methods have been conducted to improve the temperature performance of asphalt mixture to reduce reflective crack. However, the relation between fracture parameters of asphalt mixture and cracking propagation law has not been investigated. In this study, cracking performance sensitive to material parameters of asphalt mixture in asphalt pavement was researched. Two kinds of thermal field models of pavement structure were built to obtain great falling temperature and circle temperature, which were used as the external temperature load to induce thermally reflective crack. The thermally reflective cracking propagation and sensitivity to fracture parameters of asphalt mixture were analyzed. In addition, the relationship between fatigue time and fatigue parameters defined in fatigue crack growth initiation criterion and fatigue crack growth completion criterion was investigated. Crack initiation temperature difference had a power relationship with elastic modulus, a linear relationship with tensile strength, but had no relationship with fracture energy. Crack completion temperature difference had a power relationship with elastic modulus, and a quadratic function with fracture energy. The results provided new insight into the cracking performance sensitivity to material parameters of asphalt mixture in reflective crack in asphalt pavement.