The prediction of asphalt pavements performance in relation to their main distresses has been proposed by different researchers, by means of laboratory characterization and field data evaluation. In relation to fatigue cracking, there is no universal consensus about the laboratory testing to be performed, the damage criterion to be considered, the testing condition to be set (level and frequency of loading, and temperature), and the specimen geometry to be used. Tests performed in asphalt binders and in asphalt mixes are used to study fatigue behavior and to predict fatigue life. The characterization of asphalt binders is relevant, since fatigue cracking is highly dependent on the rheological characteristics of these materials. In the present research, the linear viscoelastic characterization, time sweep tests, and amplitude sweep tests were done. In respect to the laboratorial characterization of asphalt mixes, tests based on indirect tensile, four point flexural bending beam, and tension-compression were performed. Field damage evolution data of two asphalt pavement sections were collected from an experimental test site in a very heavy traffic highway. Three asphalt binders (one neat binder, one SBS-modified binder and one highly modified binder, HiMA), and one asphalt concrete constituted by the neat binder were tested in laboratory. The experimental test site was composed by two segments, constituted by different base layers (unbound course and cement-treated crushed stone) that provided different mechanical responses in the asphalt wearing course. The field damage data were compared to fatigue life models that use empirical results obtained in the laboratory and computer simulations. Correlations among the asphalt materials scales were discussed in this dissertation, with the objective of predicting the fatigue cracking performance of asphalt pavements. / A previsão do desempenho de pavimentos asfálticos em relação aos seus principais defeitos tem sido proposta por diferentes pesquisadores, por meio da caracterização em laboratório e da avaliação de dados de campo. No que diz respeito ao trincamento por fadiga, não há um consenso universal sobre o tipo de ensaio a ser realizado, o critério de dano a ser considerado, e as condições de ensaio a serem adotadas (nível e frequência de carregamento, e temperatura), além da geometria das amostras testadas. Ensaios realizados em ligantes asfálticos e em misturas asfálticas são usados para estudar o comportamento em relação à fadiga e para prever a vida útil. A caracterização dos ligantes asfálticos é relevante, uma vez que o trincamento por fadiga é altamente dependente das características reológicas desses materiais. Nesta pesquisa, a obtenção dos parâmetros viscoelásticos lineares e a caracterização por meio de ensaios de varredura de tempo e de varredura de deformação foram realizados. Em relação à caracterização laboratorial das misturas asfálticos, ensaios baseados em compressão diametral, vigota de quatro pontos e em tração-compressão axial foram realizados. Dados de evolução do dano de campo obtidos em duas seções de pavimentos asfálticos foram coletados de um trecho experimental construído em uma rodovia de alto volume de tráfego. Três ligantes asfálticos (um ligante não modificado, um ligante modificado por polímero do tipo SBS e um ligante altamente modificado, HiMA), e uma mistura asfáltica do tipo concreto asfáltico constituída pelo ligante não modificado foram testados em laboratório. O trecho experimental era composto por dois segmentos, constituídos por diferentes tipos de camadas de base (brita graduada simples e brita graduada tratada com cimento) que forneciam diferentes respostas mecânicas à camada de revestimento asfáltico. Os dados de campo foram comparados com modelos de previsão de vida de fadiga que utilizam resultados empíricos obtidos em laboratórios e simulações computacionais. Correlações entre as diferentes escalas são discutidas nesta tese, com o objetivo de prever o desempenho de pavimentos asfálticos ao trincamento por fadiga.

The recent changes in the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) hot mix asphalt (HMA) mix design procedures to ensure that the mixture types routinely used on Texas highways are not prone to rutting raised concerns that these mixture types are now more susceptible to fatigue cracking. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate fatigue cracking test methods and recommend that which is both simple and robust, especially in qualifying commonly used Texas mixture types. One way to minimize fatigue cracking is through material screening and selection of appropriate mix designs that are representative of fatigue-resistant HMA mixes. However, there are not many standardized laboratory fracture resistance tests that have been universally adopted for routine mix design and/or screening purposes for HMA fatigue resistance. In this study, four different fracture test methods: the Overlay Tester (OT), Direct Tension (DT), Indirect Tension (IDT), and Semicircular Bending (SCB) tests were comparatively evaluated for their potential application as surrogate tests for routine fracture resistance evaluation and screening of HMA mixes in the laboratory. The evaluation criteria included: rationality of the test concept and correlation to field performance, repeatability and variability, simplicity and practicality of the sample fabrication process, and simplicity of data analysis. Results and key findings based on the laboratory fatigue resistance characterization of various commonly used Texas coarse- and fine-graded HMA mixes (Type B, C, and D) are presented in this paper. Overall, preliminary findings indicated that no monotonically-loaded test would be appropriate as a surrogate fatigue resistance test; however, the SCB test showed potential as a repeated-loading test. Suggested SCB test improvements include developing the repeated SCB test protocol, determining the appropriate failure criterion, and correlating laboratory performance to field performance.

The prediction of asphalt pavements performance in relation to their main distresses has been proposed by different researchers, by means of laboratory characterization and field data evaluation. In relation to fatigue cracking, there is no universal consensus about the laboratory testing to be performed, the damage criterion to be considered, the testing condition to be set (level and frequency of loading, and temperature), and the specimen geometry to be used. Tests performed in asphalt binders and in asphalt mixes are used to study fatigue behavior and to predict fatigue life. The characterization of asphalt binders is relevant, since fatigue cracking is highly dependent on the rheological characteristics of these materials. In the present research, the linear viscoelastic characterization, time sweep tests, and amplitude sweep tests were done. In respect to the laboratorial characterization of asphalt mixes, tests based on indirect tensile, four point flexural bending beam, and tension-compression were performed. Field damage evolution data of two asphalt pavement sections were collected from an experimental test site in a very heavy traffic highway. Three asphalt binders (one neat binder, one SBS-modified binder and one highly modified binder, HiMA), and one asphalt concrete constituted by the neat binder were tested in laboratory. The experimental test site was composed by two segments, constituted by different base layers (unbound course and cement-treated crushed stone) that provided different mechanical responses in the asphalt wearing course. The field damage data were compared to fatigue life models that use empirical results obtained in the laboratory and computer simulations. Correlations among the asphalt materials scales were discussed in this dissertation, with the objective of predicting the fatigue cracking performance of asphalt pavements. / A previsão do desempenho de pavimentos asfálticos em relação aos seus principais defeitos tem sido proposta por diferentes pesquisadores, por meio da caracterização em laboratório e da avaliação de dados de campo. No que diz respeito ao trincamento por fadiga, não há um consenso universal sobre o tipo de ensaio a ser realizado, o critério de dano a ser considerado, e as condições de ensaio a serem adotadas (nível e frequência de carregamento, e temperatura), além da geometria das amostras testadas. Ensaios realizados em ligantes asfálticos e em misturas asfálticas são usados para estudar o comportamento em relação à fadiga e para prever a vida útil. A caracterização dos ligantes asfálticos é relevante, uma vez que o trincamento por fadiga é altamente dependente das características reológicas desses materiais. Nesta pesquisa, a obtenção dos parâmetros viscoelásticos lineares e a caracterização por meio de ensaios de varredura de tempo e de varredura de deformação foram realizados. Em relação à caracterização laboratorial das misturas asfálticos, ensaios baseados em compressão diametral, vigota de quatro pontos e em tração-compressão axial foram realizados. Dados de evolução do dano de campo obtidos em duas seções de pavimentos asfálticos foram coletados de um trecho experimental construído em uma rodovia de alto volume de tráfego. Três ligantes asfálticos (um ligante não modificado, um ligante modificado por polímero do tipo SBS e um ligante altamente modificado, HiMA), e uma mistura asfáltica do tipo concreto asfáltico constituída pelo ligante não modificado foram testados em laboratório. O trecho experimental era composto por dois segmentos, constituídos por diferentes tipos de camadas de base (brita graduada simples e brita graduada tratada com cimento) que forneciam diferentes respostas mecânicas à camada de revestimento asfáltico. Os dados de campo foram comparados com modelos de previsão de vida de fadiga que utilizam resultados empíricos obtidos em laboratórios e simulações computacionais. Correlações entre as diferentes escalas são discutidas nesta tese, com o objetivo de prever o desempenho de pavimentos asfálticos ao trincamento por fadiga.

Load induced top-down fatigue cracking has been recognized recently as a major distress phenomenon in asphalt pavements. This failure mode has been observed in many parts of the world, and in some regions, it was found to be more prevalent and a primary cause of pavements failure. The main factors which are identified as potential causes of top down fatigue cracking are primarily linked to age hardening, mixtures fracture resistance and unbound layers stiffness. Mechanistic Empirical analytical models, which are based on hot mix asphalt fracture mechanics (HMA-FM) and that could predict crack initiation time and propagation rate, have been developed and shown their capacity in delivering acceptable predictions. However, in these methods, the effect of age hardening and healing is not properly accounted and moreover, these models do not consider the effect of mixture morphology influence on long term pavement performance. Another drawback of these models is, as analysis tools they are not suitable to be used for pavement design purpose. The main objective of this study is to develop a reliability calibrated design framework in load resistance factor design (LRFD) format which could be implemented to design pavement sections against top down fatigue cracking. For this purpose, asphalt mixture morphology based sub-models were developed and incorporated to HMA-FM to characterize the effect of aging and degradation on fracture resistance and healing potential. These sub-models were developed empirically exploiting the observed relation that exist between mixture morphology and fracture resistance. The developed crack initiation prediction model was calibrated and validated using pavement sections that have high quality laboratory data and observed field performance history. As traffic volume was identified in having a dominant influence on predicted performance, two separate model calibration and validation studies were undertaken based on expected traffic volume. The predictions result for both model calibration and validation was found to be in an excellent agreement with the observed performance in the field. A LRFD based design framework was suggested that could be implemented to optimize pavement sections against top-down fatigue cracking. To achieve this objective, pavement sections with various design target reliabilities and functional requirements were analyzed and studied.  A simplified but efficient limit state equation was generated using a central composite design (CCD) based response surface methodology, and FORM based reliability analysis was implemented to compute reliabilities and formulate associated partial safety factors. A design example using the new partial safety factors have clearly illustrated the potential of the new method, which could be used to supplement existing design procedures. / <p>QC 20150427</p>

When designing roads it’s important to know what loads will be driven on it. The axles on heavy vehicles can either have super single tires or dual tires which, according to studies, damage the roads differently. The Swedish Transport Administration is developing an understanding for the character of these different kinds of axle and tire types on the loads induced on Swedish roads. In this thesis a field study was conducted to determine the distribution between axles with super single tires and axles with dual tires on heavy vehicles. A highway, a country road and a national road were investigated during the study. The result showed that the number of trucks with single tire axles, i.e. those with super single tires, varies between 39 and 48 percent on the different types of road. That the truck has a single tire axle means that the truck has at least one axle with single tires in addition to the steering axle. A small study was conducted to determine the width of tires on heavy vehicles. A comparison of trucks with single- and dual tire axles was carried out in terms of degradation of the roads. Permanent deformation of unbound layers and fatigue cracking were investigated since these degradation mechanisms are currently used as design parameters in the design of roads. Load values from Bridge Weight In Motion (BWIM) data were used in the calculations and vehicle type 113, 123 and 12211 were investigated. Permanent deformation and fatigue cracking were calculated according to the criteria given in ATB VÄG 2005. Dissipated Creep Strain Energy (DCSE) has been calculated for the selected truck types. The study showed that trucks with axles with single tires accelerate the degradation of the roads. The permanent deformation was almost the same for the two different kinds of axle types.

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