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Investigation of asphalt concrete rutting mechanisms by X-ray computed tomography imaging and micromechanical finite element modeling

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Abstract

This paper systematically investigates the changes in asphalt concrete (AC) microstructure caused by full-scale accelerated pavement testing with a heavy vehicle simulator (HVS), using X-ray computed tomography images taken before and after HVS rutting tests. A viscoelastic micromechanical finite element modeling was also used to investigate effects of bitumen mastic and aggregate skeleton properties on shear resistance. The primary purpose was to determine the reasons behind the earlier failure of the rubberized gap graded AC mix used in the test compared to the polymer modified dense graded mix also included in the experiment. Shear related deformation appears to control the long term rutting performance of the test sections while densification was primarily an initial contributor at the very early stages of trafficking. A high concentration of aggregate interlock in the polymer modified mix, as a result of the dense gradation and larger aggregate sizes, appears to have resulted in greater dissipation of shear stresses and therefore greater shear resistance. The lack of this interlocking effect for the rubberized gap graded mix is proposed to have caused the earlier failure on HVS test sections.

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Acknowledgments

This paper describes research activities that were requested and sponsored by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Research and Innovation. The test section construction and HVS testing were funded by SHRP II Project R21. Caltrans and SHRP II sponsorship is gratefully acknowledged. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors and do not reflect the official views or policies of the State of California, the Federal Highway Administration or the SHRP II program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Pavement Research Center, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Erdem Coleri & John T. Harvey

  2. Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis Medical Center, 4860 Y Street, Suite 3100 Ellison Building, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA

    Kai Yang & John M. Boone

Authors
  1. Erdem Coleri
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  2. John T. Harvey
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  3. Kai Yang
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  4. John M. Boone
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Correspondence to Erdem Coleri.

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Coleri, E., Harvey, J.T., Yang, K. et al. Investigation of asphalt concrete rutting mechanisms by X-ray computed tomography imaging and micromechanical finite element modeling. Mater Struct 46, 1027–1043 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-012-9951-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-012-9951-x

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