abstract: Heating of asphalt during production and construction causes the volatilization and oxidation of binders used in mixes. Volatilization and oxidation causes degradation of asphalt pavements by increasing the stiffness of the binders, increasing susceptibility to cracking and negatively affecting the functional and structural performance of the pavements. Degradation of asphalt binders by volatilization and oxidation due to high production temperature occur during early stages of pavement life and are known as Short Term Aging (STA). Elevated temperatures and increased exposure time to elevated temperatures causes increased STA of asphalt. The objective of this research was to investigate how elevated mixing temperatures and exposure time to elevated temperatures affect aging and stiffening of binders, thus influencing properties of the asphalt mixtures. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage evaluated STA effect of asphalt binders. It involved aging two Performance Graded (PG) virgin asphalt binders, PG 76-16 and PG 64-22 at two different temperatures and durations, then measuring their viscosities. The second stage involved evaluating the effects of elevated STA temperature and time on properties of the asphalt mixtures. It involved STA of asphalt mixtures produced in the laboratory with the PG 64-22 binder at mixing temperatures elevated 25OF above standard practice; STA times at 2 and 4 hours longer than standard practices, and then compacted in a gyratory compactor. Dynamic modulus (E*) and Indirect Tensile Strength (IDT) were measured for the aged mixtures for each temperature and duration to determine the effect of different aging times and temperatures on the stiffness and fatigue properties of the aged asphalt mixtures. The binder test results showed that in all cases, there was increased viscosity. The results showed the highest increase in viscosity resulted from increased aging time. The results also indicated that PG 64-22 was more susceptible to elevated STA temperature and extended time than the PG 76-16 binders. The asphalt mixture test results confirmed the expected outcome that increasing the STA and mixing temperature by 25oF alters the stiffness of mixtures. Significant change in the dynamic modulus mostly occurred at four hour increase in STA time regardless of temperature. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering 2013

No description available.

This thesis investigates the effect of added asphalt binder content on the performance and volumetric properties of asphalt concrete mixes containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). Mixes with three different percentages of RAP (0%, 20%, 40%) obtained from an asphalt producer and three different percentages of asphalt binder (design asphalt content, design +0.5%, and design +1.0%) were evaluated. Additionally, a laboratory produced mix containing 100% RAP with four asphalt binder contents (0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%) was also evaluated in order to determine the binder level that optimizes mix performance for the extreme case in RAP utilization. Performance of the mixtures was evaluated based on three criteria: stiffness (dynamic modulus), fatigue resistance (flexural beam), and rutting resistance (flow number). Results showed that a 0.5% increase in binder content improved both the fatigue and rutting resistance of the 0% and 20% RAP mixes with only slight decreases in dynamic modulus. However, the addition of various amounts of binder to the 40% RAP mix led to a significant decrease in rutting resistance with little or no improvement to fatigue resistance. Volumetric analysis was performed on all of the mixes to determine how the added binder content affected mix volumetric properties. Results of volumetric testing, specifically asphalt content and Voids in the Total Mix (VTM) at the design compaction effort, Ndesign, revealed that the 40% RAP mix incorporated a significantly higher level of binder during plant production which very likely contributed to the decrease in rutting resistance once additional binder was added in the laboratory. Additionally, the gyratory compaction effort that would result in 4 percent VTM at the optimal binder content over the three performance tests, N4%, was calculated for each mix. Results indicated that the VTM for the optimally performing 20% and 40% RAP mixes were well below current Virginia Department of transportation (VDOT) production standards. In addition, N4%, for the optimally performing 20% and 40% RAP mixes was 50% or less than the current design compaction effort of 65 gyrations. / Master of Science

The objective of this study is to characterize the properties of typically adopted drainage layer materials in VA, OK, and ID. A series of laboratory tests have been conducted to quantify the volumetric properties, permeability and mechanical properties of the laboratory-compacted asphalt treated and cement treated permeable base specimens. The modified test protocols to determine the dynamic modulus of the drainage layer materials have been provided, which can be followed to determine the dynamic modulus of the drainage layers as level 1 input in Mechanistic-Empirical (M-E) pavement design. The measured dynamic moduli have been used to calibrate the original NCHRP 1-37A model to facilitate its application on drainage layer materials for prediction of the dynamic modulus as level 2 input. The compressive strength of the cement treated permeable base mixture of different air void contents has also been quantified in laboratory. Numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the location effects and the contribution of the drainage layer as a structural component within pavement. The optimal air void content of the drainage layer is recommended for Virginia, Oklahoma and Idaho based on the laboratory-determined permeability and the predicted pavement performances during 20-year service life. / Ph. D.

The influence of initial stocking and physiologically aged cuttings (taken from 1-year- old and 5-year-old parents) on corewood modulus of elasticity (MOE) in 6-year-old Pinus radiata D. Don was studied in a Nelder-design experiment in Rolleston, Canterbury. In the same experiment, the influence of initial stocking on MOE in 5-year- old Eucalyptus nitens was also investigated. The study incorporated 19 different stocking levels ranging from 207 to 40,446 stems/ha. Green dynamic modulus of elasticity was assessed in standing trees using the TreeTap stress-wave method over the lower part of the stem (0.3 – 1.9m) for 151 P. radiata trees and 115 E. nitens trees. The interaction between species and stocking significantly influenced MOE (P<0.001). MOE of P. radiata increased by 55% (or 3.9 GPa) between 271 and 40,466 stems/ha, and by 41% (or 2.2 GPa) between 271 and 4370 stems/ha. MOE of E. nitens was also influenced by stocking but the slope was significantly lower indicating that the effect of stocking was less pronounced than for P. radiata. Over the usual range of stockings for E. nitens there was an insignificant relationship between stocking and stiffness (P=0.335). Trees were also assessed for DBH, height, and stem slenderness (height/ DBH). None of these latter variables had a significant influence on MOE after the effects of stocking and species were accounted for. No effects of physiological age of cuttings were detected in this study. The findings of this study highlight the importance of stocking as a tool that forest managers can utilize to regulate corewood stiffness in P. radiata trees. These results also suggest that for E. nitens, where wood stiffness is a priority, forest managers could reduce establishment costs by planting at much lower initial stockings. This study also highlights the superior stiffness of E. nitens in direct comparison with P. radiata, with many trees in the experiment already exceeding stiffness thresholds for structural timber in New Zealand.

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul / The use of recycled materials can become a constructive application with good acceptance in the road sector, and is a great contribution to the sustainability policy. In this scenario, the study of economic and sustainable techniques for execution, construction and maintenance of highways, forces a survey in which they can find alternatives to the use of materials that reduce energy consumption, taking into account also the environmental appeal. Therefore, this is an objective research on the study of a way to use, reuse, and improve the use of the recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in hot asphalt mixtures. This is possible due to the RAP's recycling process being a viable option to replace conventional pavement materials. Then, the RAP becomes an alternative when someone wishes to improve the properties of a material, called particle size stabilization, aiming at a correct particle size and obtain a material with greater strength, efficiency and lower cost. To achieve the purpose of this study, laboratory tests were made to evaluate the mechanical properties and adhesiveness of mixtures containing 10% addition of RAP, 20% and 30%, compared to a reference mix without the RAP addition. Additionally, the initial use of the Bailey method was an important factor to the formation of the mixtures and selection of the aggregates used to Superpave methodology to design dosage strength and preparing of the samples. For mechanical evaluation were used resilient modulus tests (RM) and to review viscoelastic were used uniaxial dynamic modulus test. In addition, the indirect tensile strength tests were performed (RT) and Flow Number (FN) and damage tests induced moisture through the Modified Lottman test and wear a Cantabro abrasion, for evaluation of the properties of adhesion and cohesion of the mixtures, respectively. So after obtained these results, it was possible to make an analysis of the use of these hot mix asphalt recycling hot pavements, as well as assess how much conventional mixtures can be improved with the inclusion of recycled material, replacing virgin aggregate. Then, it was possible to infer that the mechanical evaluation showed positive results with the addition of RAP compared to a reference blend. It´s possible to reduce the new binder content between 13 and 37%. The results showed that RM stiffness and indirect tensile strength increases with RAP amount. Furthermore, the FN test results showed reductions on permanent deformation and rutting of the RAP´s mixtures. Through the master curve obtained by dynamic module, along with modeling 2S2P1D, it was found that the CAF10 mixture unexpectedly had stiffness greater than the CAF20 mixture, which has 20% more RAP than the previous. / A utilização de materiais provenientes da reciclagem pode se tornar uma aplicação construtiva com boa aceitação no setor rodoviário, além de contribuir na política de sustentabilidade. Com isso, torna-se viável o estudo de técnicas econômicas e sustentáveis para execução, construção e manutenção de rodovias, forçando uma pesquisa em que se possa encontrar alternativas para o uso de materiais que diminuam o consumo de energia, levando em conta, ainda, o apelo ambiental. Por isso, essa pesquisa se objetiva no estudo de uma maneira de utilizar, reutilizar e melhor aproveitar o material fresado em misturas asfálticas a quente. Isto se dá devido ao processo de reciclagem deste material ser uma alternativa de possível substituição aos materiais convencionais naturais de pavimentação como, por exemplo, a pedra britada. Então, o material asfáltico do pavimento deteriorado (fresado) torna-se uma das alternativas quando se deseja melhorar as propriedades de um material, denominada estabilização granulométrica, visando corrigir sua granulometria e obter um material com maior resistência, eficiência e menor custo. Para atingir o objetivo desta pesquisa, foram realizados ensaios laboratoriais que pudessem avaliar as propriedades mecânicas e de adesividade das misturas contendo 10% de adição de fresado, 20% e 30%, comparadas a uma mistura de referência sem adição de agregado reciclado. Além disso, a utilização inicial do Método Bailey foi um fator importante para a formação das misturas e seleção dos agregados, sendo utilizada a metodologia Superpave para dosagem do teor de projeto e moldagem das amostras. Para avaliação mecânica, foram usados ensaios de módulo de resiliência (MR) e, ainda, para avaliação viscoelástica, ensaio de módulo dinâmico uniaxial. Além destes, foram realizados ensaios de resistência à tração indireta (RT) e Flow Number (FN) e, também, ensaios de dano por umidade induzida, através do ensaio de Lottman Modificado, e desgaste por abrasão Cântabro, para avaliação das propriedades de adesividade e coesão das misturas, respectivamente. Assim, após obtidos estes resultados, foi possível efetuar uma análise da utilização destas misturas asfálticas na reciclagem a quente de pavimentos, bem como avaliar o quanto as misturas convencionais podem ser melhoradas com a inserção de material reciclado, em substituição ao agregado virgem. Então, foi possível concluir que a avaliação mecânica apresentou resultados positivos com a adição de fresado, quando comparados a uma mistura de referência. Os resultados de MR mostraram que a rigidez aumenta ao passo que a quantidade de fresado é maior na composição das misturas, o mesmo foi possível verificar através dos ensaios de RT, os quais apresentaram valores crescentes. Além disso, o ensaio de FN comprovou que o fresado aumenta a rigidez das misturas. Através da curva mestra obtida pelo módulo dinâmico, juntamente com a modelagem 2S2P1D, foi possível constatar que a mistura CAF10, inesperadamente, apresentou rigidez maior que a mistura CAF20, a qual tem 20% a mais de fresado que a anterior.

Laser-based additive manufacturing offers a high degree of thermokinetic flexibility that has implications on the structure and properties of the fabricated component. However, to exploit the flexibility of this process, it is imperative to understand the process-inherent thermokinetic evolution and its effect on the material characteristics. In view of this, the present work establishes a fundamental understanding of the spatiotemporal variation of thermokinetics during the fabrication of the non-ferrous alloys using the laser powder bed fusion process. Due to existing limitations of experimental techniques to probe such thermokinetics, a finite element method-based computational model is developed to predict the thermokinetic variations during the process. With the computational approach coupled with experimental techniques, the current work presents the solidification behavior influenced by spatially varying thermokinetics. In addition, it uniquely predicts the process-inherent multi-track multi-layer evolution of thermal cycles as well as thermal stress cycles and identifies their influence on the post-solidification microstructural evolution involving solid-state phase transformation. Lastly, the response of the material with a unique microstructure is recorded under various conditions (static and dynamic), which is again compared with the same set properties obtained for the same material processed via conventional routes.

"Susceptibility of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) mixes to moisture induced damage is one of the main reasons for premature failures of asphalt pavements. Hence, the evaluation of mixes for the moisture susceptibility is an essential part of the mix design. The existing methods are found to be in-sufficient to characterize mixes in terms of their moisture damage potential, and many studies have been conducted to establish an improved methodology that can better address the issue. Most of these methods involve the determination of changes in mix properties due to moisture conditioning in the laboratory or to verify the mix performance in the field or the laboratory. In the field moisture susceptible mixes are also found to lose material to extents that are dependent upon the properties of the mix and materials. So far, there has been no comprehensive study to investigate the loss of materials due to moisture induced damage. The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate a conditioning and a test method that can be used on a regular basis to detect moisture susceptible mixes and to understand the combined problem of moisture induced material loss and change in strength/stiffness of the mix. The Moisture Induced Stress Tester (MIST), Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV), Dynamic Modulus in Indirect tensile mode, and Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) tests were utilized in the study. The effluent from the MIST was checked for the gradation of dislodged aggregates and the Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) content. A system dynamics (SD) approach was also adopted to investigate the problem and establish a model to reproduce field observations. The results showed that the use of MIST in combination with UPV or ITS is able to identify moisture susceptible mixes, in particular for mixes with the potential of aggregate breakdown. The mixes with a higher loss of asphalt binder during conditioning exhibit higher tensile strengths, and those with a loss of finer materials, which is indicative of aggregate breakdown, show a lower tensile strength. For the mixes used in this study, the rate of change in indirect tensile strength during moisture conditioning was found to be strongly correlated to the pre-conditioning modulus of the mix. A step-by-step framework to characterize the moisture susceptible mixes was presented."

Submitted by Nara Lays Domingues Viana Oliveira (naradv) on 2015-07-17T15:20:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 joanabenetti.pdf: 894915 bytes, checksum: 58e3900b6f8a79d2d5f5de65fd5cf38c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-17T15:20:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 joanabenetti.pdf: 894915 bytes, checksum: 58e3900b6f8a79d2d5f5de65fd5cf38c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-01-13 / Banco Santander / Banespa / FINEP - Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / O setor da construção civil apresenta um grande potencial de geração de resíduos sólidos, caracterizando-se como um dos maiores geradores deste material no mundo. Por este motivo, é importante adotar um novo modelo de desenvolvimento, que busque, gradativamente, a não geração e a minimização de resíduo, assim como alternativas para o reaproveitamento destes resíduos na própria construção civil, e, assim, atingir um desenvolvimento mais sustentável. Neste contexto, muitos estudos sobre o concreto confeccionado com agregados reciclados de concreto vêm sendo desenvolvidos, tanto em nível nacional como internacional. Entretanto, é possível perceber que a maior parte das pesquisas tem seu foco voltado para a resistência à compressão e à tração, sendo mais escassos aqueles que dão ênfase para o comportamento elástico destes concretos. Frente ao exposto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o módulo de elasticidade dinâmico de concretos produzidos com a utilização de agregado reciclado de concreto. Para tanto, confeccionou-se concretos que foram divididos em dois grupos. Um dos grupos empregou agregados reciclados de duas resistências (18 e 50 MPa), que foram inseridos em um novo concreto de 32 MPa, nos teores de substituição de 25%, 50%, 75% e 100%. O outro grupo empregou dois tipos de resíduos, gerados em maior quantidade por uma indústria de pré-fabricados de concreto. Um deles é o resíduo de concreto plástico, com cura convencional ao ar, e o outro é o resíduo de concreto seco, com cura térmica à vapor de água, sendo que substituiu-se 50% em volume do agregado graúdo natural pelo reciclado, em três novos concretos de distintas resistências. O módulo de elasticidade dinâmico foi calculado conforme especificado na C597 (ASTM, 2009), sendo analisada a influência da umidade do concreto no momento do ensaio, do tipo de resíduo e do teor de substituição de agregado natural pelo reciclado no módulo de elasticidade dinâmico. O tipo de agregado reciclado de concreto influenciou o módulo de elasticidade dinâmico, assim como os diferentes teores de substituição e a umidade do concreto no momento do ensaio. Para os materiais avaliados, o módulo de elasticidade não variou em função da resistência à compressão do concreto que gerou o agregado reciclado de concreto, e verificou-se correlação positiva entre o módulo de elasticidade e a resistência à compressão do concreto. / The construction industry is one of the largest solid waste generator. For this reason, it is important to adopt a new model aiming for thereuse of construction waste and thereby achieve a more sustainable development. In this context, studies on concrete made with recycledaggregate concrete have been developed, focused to determine compressive strength and tensile strength, with little emphasis on the elastic behavior of concrete. This work aims to analyze the dynamic modulus of elasticity of concrete produced with waste concrete as aggregate. To this end, it was made two groups of concrete using two types of waste generated in larger quantities by an industry of prefabricated concrete. The first group was made with a residue of plastic concrete, air-cured, and concrete made with of heat curing. The concrete aggregates were used to replace 50% by volume of natural coarse aggregate. In the second group recycled aggregates was produced in two strengths (18 and 50 MPa), being used to produce a new concrete of 32 MPa. The levels of substitution were 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. The dynamic modulus of elasticity was calculated as specified in C597 (ASTM, 2009). It was analyzed the influence of moisture content and the type of waste recycled aggregate replacement in the natural dynamic modulus of elasticity. The type of recycled aggregate influenced the dynamic modulus of elasticity, as well as different levels of moisture and replacement of concrete at the time of trial. For the materials tested, the modulus of elasticity did not vary as a function of the compressive strength of recycled aggregate concrete, bu there was a positive correlation between the modulus of elasticity and compressive strength of concrete.

Uma das aplicações da análise modal experimental é a avaliação da integridade estrutural. O ensaio dinâmico fornece os valores de freqüência natural, cujas variações podem ser utilizadas para identificar a presença e a magnitude do dano e determinar a rigidez equivalente de peças já fissuradas. Atualmente, as pesquisas sobre o efeito dinâmico nas estruturas civis estão se tornando mais freqüentes. Dentre os vários aspectos de interesse relacionados ao comportamento dinâmico das estruturas de concreto armado, cita-se como relevante a questão da danificação progressiva de seus elementos. Com a evolução da fissuração, existe uma diminuição da freqüência natural e um aumento do amortecimento. Essa variação dos parâmetros permite obter os valores de rigidez equivalente para os diversos estágios de fissuração da peça, o que pode indicar a proximidade da ruptura. Neste trabalho foi avaliada a integridade de elementos estruturais de concreto, discutindo os resultados da análise modal experimental em função do nível de danificação. Foram realizados ensaios em elementos de concreto simples para avaliação do módulo de elasticidade, tanto pelo método estático como pelo método dinâmico, observando a sua variação em função da microfissuração, resistência à compressão e idade do concreto. Os ensaios experimentais foram realizados em corpos-de-prova cilíndricos e prismáticos, sendo os resultados dos ensaios de vibração livre comparados aos resultados obtidos com os ensaios estáticos usuais. Também foram realizados ensaios estáticos e dinâmicos em vigas de concreto armado, de tamanho reduzido, para análise do comportamento de parâmetros dinâmicos ao longo de um processo de danificação. Demonstra-se a viabilidade dos ensaios não-destrutivos dinâmicos para a determinação das propriedades do material e dos elementos de concreto armado, além das vantagens econômicas, facilidade de execução e confiabilidade / Structural integrity assessment may be performed by experimental modal analysis. The dynamic tests provide natural frequencies values whose changes may be used to identify existent damage and to estimate the equivalent stiffness of cracked elements. Nowadays more researches about dynamic effects on civil structures are becoming available. Among all aspects related to the dynamic behaviour of reinforced concrete structures, the progressive damage of their elements is one of great relevance. According to the damage progress, the natural frequencies decrease and the damping factors increase. These dynamic characteristics changes allow getting the equivalent stiffness values for the various degrees of cracking, even indicating the closeness to failure. The objective of this research is to assess the concrete elements integrity and to discuss the results from experimental modal analysis due to different damage levels. There were carried through dynamic and static experiments to evaluate the modulus of elasticity of concrete. It was observed its changes related to concrete micro-cracking, compression strength and age. The experimental testings had been carried through in cylindrical and prismatic specimens. The results obtained from free vibration tests were compared with the ones obtained from the usual static tests. Reinforced concrete beams were also subjected to static and dynamic testings to assess the behavior of the dynamic parameters throughout a damage process. The dynamic non-destructive tests can be used to find out concrete and reinforced beam properties, beyond its economic advantages, easiness to do and trustworthiness