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. 2022 Jan 4;15(1):369.
doi: 10.3390/ma15010369.

Field Evaluation of High Modulus Asphalt Concrete Resistance to Low-Temperature Cracking

Marek Pszczola  1 , Dawid Rys  1 , Mariusz Jaczewski  1
Affiliations

Field Evaluation of High Modulus Asphalt Concrete Resistance to Low-Temperature Cracking

Marek Pszczola et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

High-modulus asphalt concrete has numerous advantages in comparison to conventional asphalt concrete, including increased resistance to permanent deformations and increased pavement fatigue life. However, previous studies have shown that the construction of road pavements with High Modulus Asphalt Concrete (HMAC) may significantly increase the risk of low-temperature cracking. Those observations were the motivation for the research presented in this paper. Four test sections with HMAC used in base and binder courses were evaluated in the study. Field investigations of the number of low-temperature cracks were performed over several years. It was established that the number of new low-temperature cracks is susceptible to many random factors, and the statistical term "reversion to the mean" should be considered. A new factor named Increase in Cracking Index was developed to analyze the resistance of pavement to low-temperature cracking. For all the considered field sections, samples were cut from each asphalt layer, and Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Tests were performed in the laboratory. Correlations of temperature at failure and cryogenic stresses with the cracking intensity observed in the field were analyzed. The paper provides practical suggestions for pavement designers. When the use of high modulus asphalt concrete is planned for binder course and asphalt base, which may result in lower resistance to low-temperature cracking of pavement than in the case of conventional asphalt concrete, it is advisable to apply a wearing course with improved resistance to low-temperature cracking. Such an approach may compensate for the adverse effects of usage of high modulus asphalt concrete.

Keywords: Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST); asphalt mixture; climatic conditions; field sections; low-temperature cracking.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Minimum air and pavement temperatures during winter seasons for the considered sections.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Freezing index and number of days when low air temperatures fell below the level of −15 °C, −20 °C, and −25 °C for the considered sections.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Examples of low-temperature cracks. (a) Unrepaired; (b) Sealed (Expressway S8).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The method of specimen preparation: (a) core specimens drilled from road sections, (b) division of cores into individual layers, (c) cutting along the direction of vehicle movement, and (d) formation of prismatic beams.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Thermal stress restrained specimen test (TSRST) setup. (a) Photograph of specimens during the test; (b) Schematic view [15].
Figure 6
Figure 6
The annual average increase in cracking index in relation to (a) pavement age and (b) total number of days when air temperature decreased below −20 °C.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The relationships between cryogenic stresses at failure and temperature of failure in the TSRST test.
Figure 8
Figure 8
The relationships between cryogenic stresses at −20 °C and cryogenic stresses at failure temperature.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Relations between the increase in cracking index obtained for the period from the year of pavement construction up to 2020 (ICI2020) and the results of the TSRST test. (a) Failure temperature; (b) Cryogenic stress at −20 °C.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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