This study presents micromechanical finite-element ͑FE͒ and discrete-element ͑DE͒ models for the prediction of viscoelastic creep stiffness of asphalt mixture. Asphalt mixture is composed of graded aggregates bound with mastic ͑asphalt mixed with fines and fine aggregates͒ and air voids. The two-dimensional ͑2D͒ microstructure of asphalt mixture was obtained by optically scanning the smoothly sawn surface of superpave gyratory compacted asphalt mixture specimens. For the FE method, the micromechanical model of asphalt mixture uses an equivalent lattice network structure whereby interparticle load transfer is simulated through an effective asphalt mastic zone. The ABAQUS FE model integrates a user material subroutine that combines continuum elements with viscoelastic properties for the effective asphalt mastic and rigid body elements for each aggregate. An incremental FE algorithm was employed in an ABAQUS user material model for the asphalt mastic to predict global viscoelastic behavior of asphalt mixture. In regard to the DE model, the outlines of aggregates were converted into polygons based on a 2D scanned mixture microstructure. The polygons were then mapped onto a sheet of uniformly sized disks, and the intrinsic and interface properties of the aggregates and mastic were assigned for the simulation. An experimental program was developed to measure the properties of sand mastic for simulation inputs. The laboratory measurements of the mixture creep stiffness were compared with FE and DE model predictions over a reduced time. The results indicated both methods were applicable for mixture creep stiffness prediction.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.