Double Punch Test: Simple Performance Test to Evaluate the Fatigue and Rutting Potential of Asphalt Concrete

Abstract

The primary distresses of the asphalt pavement are rutting, fatigue cracking, and thermal cracking. Laboratory tests can be conducted to characterize the expected performance of asphalt concrete in the field. This study evaluated the double punch test (DPT) as an alternative test method to characterize the fatigue and rutting of asphalt concrete due to its simplicity. In DPT, a cylindrical asphalt concrete specimen is compressed vertically through two steel punches placed concentrically on the top and bottom. The specimen fails along the diametrical plane due to the tensile strain generated in the tangential direction. Double punch tests were performed at intermediate and high temperatures to characterize fatigue and rutting potential of asphalt concrete, respectively. The DPT results were found to correlate well with fatigue parameters from indirect tensile (IDT) tests for fatigue and flow number test results for rutting, both of which have been reported to correlate well with field fatigue and rutting performance, respectively. The results indicate that the DPT can serve as a viable alternative to evaluate the fatigue and rutting behavior of asphalt concrete.