Experiment of Tension-compression Fatigue and Damage for Asphalt Mixtures

Abstract

A tension-compression beam fatigue test under continuous sine wave alternating loading for AC-13 was conducted to understand fatigue damage characteristics of an actual asphalt pavement structure under tension and compression stresses. Tension-compression fatigue damage characteristics of asphalt mixtures were investigated using phenomenology based on basic theory of damage mechanics. Tension-compression fatigue test method and influencing factors were introduced; and tension-compression fatigue equation was established via fatigue test results. A tension-compression fatigue damage model was developed based on the damage variable defined by elastic modulus. Damage parameters were determined by fitting fatigue test data. Tension-compression fatigue damage evolution equation regarding stress level was constructed. Results show the following. (1) Fatigue damage parameters