The Effect of Temperature, Rest Periods and Ageing on the Response of Bituminous Materials in Fatigue Tests: Considerations and Proposals on Analytical Dimensioning Models

One of the basic assumptions of analytical dimensioning models of asphalt pavements is failure due to fatigue cracking of the bituminous layers. Furthermore, it is considered that the damaging effects of different traffic loads are linear and cumulative, per Miner's law. However, the analysis carried out on the effect of temperature, rest periods, and ageing of the bituminous materials questions considering fatigue failure as the only and main assumption for the calculation of the pavement life. Ageing of the pavement asphalt layers results in stiffening and transverse cracking. Consequently, these asphalt layers are no longer of infinite extent in the horizontal direction and their response resembles that of a slab. The application of this last calculation assumption provides pavement sections more in line with those used in Spain in the Catalogue of Structural Sections, which is based on experience gained from the real behavior of those sections. The calculation based on the fatigue laws results in undersized structures. This paper shows the results of a strain sweep test implemented at the UPC Roads Laboratory, which was used to analyse all the aforementioned effects and to propose a calculation procedure for heavy traffic pavements considering transverse cracking of the asphalt layers.

Automated summary

The basic assumption of traditional analytical models for asphalt pavements is that failure is caused by fatigue cracking of the bituminous layers. However, the effects of temperature, rest periods, and ageing of the bituminous materials question this assumption. Ageing leads to stiffening and transverse cracking of the asphalt layers, and thus the calculation of pavement life should consider these factors.