Time–temperature superposition of asphalt materials and temperature sensitivity of rheological parameters (TSRP)

Abstract

Different temperature sensitivity parameters were introduced to address the temperature susceptibility of asphalt cement, all of which used a single number to define each particular material by assuming linearity in temperature sensitivity. The time–temperature superposition principle (TTS) has been used, under different circumstances, to understand the viscoelastic properties of asphalt materials. Various empirical relationships have been developed to explain the relationship between TTS shift factors and temperature. This research evaluated the suitability of such relationships to evaluate the temperature sensitivity of viscoelastic materials and found that the modified Arrhenius equation is more fundamentally appropriate for this purpose. Results of this study showed that the temperature sensitivity of rheological parameters, introduced here, is sensitive to age hardening (for both asphalt cement and mix) and can be used to evaluate age hardening and changes in mix’s volumetric properties as well as investigating the effect of mix design properties.