Laboratory evaluation of the effect of compaction method and compaction work on the performance of SMA-13 mixture.

The influence of compaction methods such as the Marshall compaction method (MCM), vibration compaction method (VCM) and gyration compaction method (GCM), on the performance of stone mastic asphalt (SMA-13) mixture has yet to be explored. Therefore, to compare the influences of compaction methods and work on the physical and mechanical properties of SMA-13 mixture, the volume parameters, mechanical properties, and gradation changes of SMA-13 mixture specimens prepared under different vibration compaction times, Marshall double-compaction numbers, and gyration compaction numbers were studied. The compaction method for SMA-13 mixture design was also proposed under the principle of optimum properties. Results demonstrate that the asphalt aggregate ratio and compaction work directly affect the volumetric properties (VV, VFA, and VMA) of asphalt mixture specimens while the raw material and mineral aggregate gradation were fixed. The influence of compaction work on physical properties is greater than that of asphalt aggregate ratio. The mechanical strength of VCM and GCM specimens is higher than that of MCM specimens under the same compaction work and the optimum asphalt aggregate ratio. With the increase in compaction work, the mechanical properties of SMA-13 mixture are improved at the same compaction method and the optimum asphalt aggregate ratio. The aggregate gradation of the SMA-13 mixture before and after compacted using VCM and GCM changes minimally compared with that of the SMA-13 mixture compacted by MCM. Thus, the compaction methods of VCM65 and GCM130 were recommended for SMA-13 mixture design.

Laboratory Evaluation of a Vertical Vibration Testing Method for an SMA-13 Mixture.

In order to simulate the on-site compaction conditions of a Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) mixture, The Vertical Vibration Testing Method (VVTM), Superpave Gyratory Compactor (SGC), and Marshall method are used to test the SMA-13 mixture, and the physical and mechanical properties of the asphalt mixture designed by these three methods are tested. Subsequently, the influences of the molding method on the mechanical properties are compared. The influence of vibration compaction time on the volume parameters of the SMA mixture is studied. Following the heavy traffic compaction standards, the vibration compaction time of the SMA mixture is determined. The results show that the densities of the heavy Marshall specimen, VVTM specimen, and SGC specimen are 1.018 times, 1.019 times, and 1.015 times greater than that of the standard Marshall specimen, respectively. The passing rate of the 4.75 mm aggregate of the standard Marshall specimen is 29.9%, and that of the VVTM specimen and SGC specimen is 31.1% and 30.5%, respectively, while that of the heavy Marshall specimen is 34.5%. The mechanical strength of the specimen can be greatly improved as the density increases. On the other hand, by the same compaction work, the mechanical strength of the VVTM specimens can be increased by at least 7% compared with the heavy Marshall specimen. The mechanical strength of the VVTM specimen is increased by at least 22% compared with the standard Marshall specimen. The results also show that under the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio and the same compaction work, the compressive strength and shear strength of the VVTM specimens are increased by at least 6% and 9%, respectively, compared with the Marshall specimens. In summary, the performance of the asphalt mixture designed by the VVTM is superior, providing a wider choice for future asphalt mixture design.

Investigating the Effect of Aggregate Characteristics on the Macroscopic and Microscopic Fracture Mechanisms of Asphalt Concrete at Low-Temperature.

The low-temperature crack of asphalt concrete is considered to be one of the main deteriorations in asphalt pavements. However, there have been few studies on the composite effects of the aggregate characteristics and fracturing modes on the low-temperature cracking of asphalt concrete. Hence, the edge cracked semi-circular bend tests and the discrete element modeling approaches are combined to investigate the effect of the aggregate contents, aggregate morphological features and aggregate distributions on the fracture behavior of asphalt concrete in different fracturing modes at different temperatures. The results show that the fracture toughness and the crack extended time reduce with the increasing aggregate orientation and flatness and the decreased aggregate content. The effect of aggregate flatness is nonlinear and its reduction trend grows gradually with the increasing flatness. The total number of failed contacts is reduced with the increasing aggregate orientation and flatness, particularly at 10 °C. The number of failed contacts that occurred in the aggregate-mastic interface in quasi mode II fracturing is slightly higher than that in other fracturing modes. The aggregate distribution in the crack initiation zone greatly influenced the crack resistance, particularly at 10 °C. The research is beneficial to better understanding the fracture mechanisms of asphalt concrete at low-temperature.