Mechanical performance and crack retardation study of a fiberglass-grid-reinforced asphalt concrete system

Abstract

This paper presents constitutive design considerations for a semi-rigid, resin-impregnated fiberglass grid that enhances the mechanical performance of an asphalt concrete overlay and provides a pattern to retard crack propagation. An acrylic polymer resin covers the grid-structured fiberglass strands, thus making their viscoelastic nature compatible with the asphalt materials. The remarkable temperature susceptibility of the resin is observed using time–temperature superposition. The grid tensile strength of 100 kN/m was qualified using standard measurements. Three-point bending and cyclic fatigue loading mechanical tests affirm the retardation performance of the grid-reinforced system in terms of crack propagation. The retardation mechanism is affected by synchronizing the cracking pattern with the flexural stress–strain profile through image analysis. A National Center for Asphalt Technology full-scale road testing program provides assessment of the grid-reinforced pavements. A visual inspection of the grid extracted from the traffick zone showed fair condition of the pavement.