Impact of Temperature Gradient on Modulus of Asphaltic Concrete Layers

Abstract

Temperature is one of the most dominant factors that impact the variation in modulus of asphalt concrete (AC) layers. An accurate relationship between temperature and modulus is necessary to successfully characterize asphalt concrete pavements. The variation in modulus is typically related to the average temperature of a layer. However, the temperature gradient within a layer also plays a role in that relationship. The impact of temperature gradient on modulus of AC layers is reported in this paper. A test setup that can simulate the variation in temperature with time of day was developed and used. With the data obtained, a preliminary relationship between temperature gradient and modulus has been developed. The next step of this study is to develop a model that can be used in pavement analysis.