Hot-mix asphalt concrete (HMAC) mixture fatigue characterization constitutes a fundamental component of HMAC pavement structural design and analysis to ensure adequate field fatigue performance. HMAC is a heterogeneous complex composite material of air, binder, and aggregate that behaves in a non-linear elasto-viscoplastic manner, exhibits anisotropic behavior, ages with time, and heals during traffic loading rest periods and changing environmental conditions. Comprehensive HMAC mixture fatigue analysis approaches that take into account this complex nature of HMAC are thus needed to ensure adequate field fatigue performance. In this study, four fatigue analysis approaches; the mechanistic empirical (ME), the calibrated mechanistic with (CMSE) and without (CM) surface energy measurements, and the proposed NCHRP 1-37A 2002 Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) were comparatively evaluated and utilized to characterize the fatigue resistance of two Texas HMAC mixtures in the laboratory, including investigating the effects of binder oxidative aging. Although the results were comparable, the CMSE/CM approaches exhibited greater flexibility and potential to discretely account for most of the fundamental material properties (including fracture, aging, healing, visco-elasticity, and anisotropy) that affect HMAC pavement fatigue performance. Compared to the other approaches, which are mechanistic-empirically based, the CMSE/CM approaches are based on the fundamental concepts of continuum micromechanics and energy theory.

Hot-mix asphalt concrete (HMAC) mixture fatigue characterization constitutes a fundamental component of HMAC pavement structural design and analysis to ensure adequate field fatigue performance. HMAC is a heterogeneous complex composite material of air, binder, and aggregate that behaves in a non-linear elasto-viscoplastic manner, exhibits anisotropic behavior, ages with time, and heals during traffic loading rest periods and changing environmental conditions. Comprehensive HMAC mixture fatigue analysis approaches that take into account this complex nature of HMAC are thus needed to ensure adequate field fatigue performance. In this study, four fatigue analysis approaches; the mechanistic empirical (ME), the calibrated mechanistic with (CMSE) and without (CM) surface energy measurements, and the proposed NCHRP 1-37A 2002 Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) were comparatively evaluated and utilized to characterize the fatigue resistance of two Texas HMAC mixtures in the laboratory, including investigating the effects of binder oxidative aging. Although the results were comparable, the CMSE/CM approaches exhibited greater flexibility and potential to discretely account for most of the fundamental material properties (including fracture, aging, healing, visco-elasticity, and anisotropy) that affect HMAC pavement fatigue performance. Compared to the other approaches, which are mechanistic-empirically based, the CMSE/CM approaches are based on the fundamental concepts of continuum micromechanics and energy theory.

Les régions d’interface du Soleil de la photosphère à la chromosphère et au delà de la basse couronne ont été étudiées à partir des spectres éclairs. Les éclipses sont les plus adaptées à ce type d’observation, car l’occultation a lieu en dehors de l’atmosphère terrestre et sont exemptes de lumière parasite. Les images Extrême-UV des régions du limbe obtenues récemment dans l’espace sont analysés avec des modèles hydrostatiques à une dimension, comme les modèles VAL, mais cette méthode ne tient pas compte du phénomène d’émergence du champ magnétique, associé au réseau chromosphérique qui est responsable de: i) les spicules et le milieu interspiculaire, ii) les jets coronaux et macrospicules. Un saut de température de 0.01 à 1 MK est observé autour de 2 Mm d’altitude plus loin, et produit plus loin le flot du vent solaire permanent. Le processus de chauffage responsable du saut de température et la source du vent solaire ne sont pas encore compris. Dans cette thèse, nous traitons ces problèmes à partir de spectres éclairs récents réalisés avec les technologies actuelles de détecteurs CCD rapides, images d’éclipse en lumière blanche et des images EUV obtenues avec des instruments de missions spatiales. Nous illustrons les mécanismes des émissions des raies à faible potentiel de première ionisation (FIP) présents dans les basses couches de l’atmosphère solaire. Nous identifions plus précisément les raies à bas FIP à la fois dans les interfaces, à l’intérieur et en dehors des protubérances. Nous caractérisons en détail les enveloppes d’hélium et la région de l’interface solaire. Nous discutons de l'enrichissement de la couronne en éléments low FIP. / The solar interface region from the photosphere to the chromosphere and to the lower corona has been studied using flash spectra obtained during solar total eclipses. Eclipses are very favourable for this type of observation as the occultation takes place outside the Earth atmosphere and are free of parasitic scattered light. Independently, EUV filtergrams of the limb region obtained in space were analyzed using one dimensional hydrostatic models like the VAL models but this method ignores the ubiquitous magnetic field emergence phenomenon associated with the chromospheric network and responsible for: i) spicules and interspicular regions, ii) coronal jets and macrospicules. The components of the solar interface region are dynamical and different type of waves and magnetic reconnections are suggested to be at work. A jump of temperature from 0.01 to 1 MK is observed near the 2 Mm heights and higher, further producing a permanent solar wind flow. The heating processes responsible for this temperature jump and for the flow are not yet fully understood. In this thesis, we reconsider these problems on the basis of original, superior flash spectra which benefit from present technology such as CCD detectors, white light (W-L) eclipse images and new EUV images obtained with space-borne instruments. We illustrate the mechanisms of low First Ionisation Potential (FIP) emission lines present in the low layers of the solar atmosphere and interfaces. We identify more precisely low FIP lines both inside and nearby prominences. We characterize in detail the He shells and the solar interface region. We discuss the enrichment of low FIP elements in the corona.