Standardization to evaluate the lasting capacity of rubberized asphalt mixtures with different testing approaches

Under the action of traffic load, the stress and failure state of pavement structure and materials are complex and diverse. Moreover, pavement materials are multi-phase, multi-component, and multi-scale mixtures. Their mechanical properties have significant differences in tension behavior, compression characteristics, and correlations with stress states. In view of the above problems, different testing approaches were carried out in this paper. A suitable yield criterion for rubberized asphalt mixtures was proposed. Then, the strength yield surface was determined under different loading rates. Based on the fatigue test results, the concept of fatigue stress ratio was further proposed. The relationship between the rubberized asphalt mixtures fatigue life and the fatigue stress ratio was established. The results showed that the yield criterion covers the impact of the loading rates and tensile-compression strength difference on the rubberized asphalt mixtures' mechanical behavior. The strength yield surface's shape is elliptical in the sigma(m) - sigma(e), stress space and expands outward as the loading rate increases. This paper unified the fatigue equations under different testing approaches. The established fatigue equations reflect the viscoelastic characteristics and strength characteristics of materials. The study effectively solves the difficult problem of fatigue equation selection in the structural design of asphalt rubber pavement. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study proposed a suitable yield criterion for rubberized asphalt mixtures using different testing approaches, and established fatigue equations, effectively solving difficult problems in structural design.