Open Access
Saad Issa Sarsam
- Professor Sarsam and Associates Consult Bureau (SACB), Baghdad-IRAQ., Formerly at Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, Iraq
Abstract
The signs of failure initiation in asphalt concrete through its service life may appear as cracking,
rutting, or other types of distress after practicing dynamic stresses from vehicular loading. This work
is concerned with detecting the failure initiation in asphalt concrete in the laboratory, and the role of
binder content and constant strain level through a comprehensive testing program. Asphalt concrete
mixtures were formulated with the optimal binder content, as well as with binder content adjusted by
±0.5%. These mixtures were then compacted into slab molds using a laboratory roller. From the slab
samples, beam specimens were extracted and subjected to fatigue life testing under dynamic flexural
stresses in a controlled 20°C environment. The testing program encompassed three constant strain
levels: 750, 400, and 250 microstrain. It was observed that the failure occurs in three stages after
practicing the dynamic loading. The binder content exhibits a significant influence on the starting point
of such stages. However, the impact of constant strain level is more pronounced as the binder content
increases. The binder content exhibits a significant influence on extending the fatigue life and
controlling the stages of failure.
Keywords: Failure, stages, flexure, asphalt concrete, fatigue, strain level, stiffness
[This article belongs to Trends in Transport Engineering and Applications(ttea)]
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Trends in Transport Engineering and Applications
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 01 |
| Received | April 26, 2024 |
| Accepted | May 2, 2024 |
| Published | May 4, 2024 |