It is now more popular to use basalt fibers in the engineering programs to reinforce the crack resistance of asphalt mixtures. However, research concerning the impact of the basalt fiber diameter on the macro performance of AC-13 mixtures is very limited. Therefore, in this paper, basalt fibers with three diameters, including 7, 13 and 25 μm, were selected to research the influences of fiber diameter on the crack resistance of asphalt mixtures. Different types of crack tests, such as the low temperature trabecular bending test (LTTB), the indirect tensile asphalt cracking test (IDEAL-CT), and the semi-circular bend test (SCB), were conducted to reveal the crack resistance of AC-13 mixtures. The entire cracking process was recorded through the digital image correlation (DIC) technique, and the displacement cloud pictures, strain, average crack propagation rate (V) and fracture toughness (FT) indicators were used to evaluate the crack inhibition action of the fiber diameter on the mixture. The results showed that the incorporation of basalt fiber substantially improved the crack resistance, slowed down the increase of the displacement, and delayed the fracture time. Basalt fiber with a diameter of 7 μm presented the best enhancement capability on the crack resistance of the AC-13 mixture. The flexibility index (FI) of the SCB test showed a good correlation with V and FT values of DIC test results, respectively. These findings provide theoretical advice for the popularization and engineering application of basalt fibers in asphalt pavement.
The removal of particulate matter (PM) by filter media during filtration process can mitigate the pavement runoff pollution effectively. However, this process also makes the filter media prone to clogging. To better understand the size ranges of PM captured by filter media and the subsequent impact on the clogging process, filtration test and clogging test were conducted on five types of filter media. The effect of layer thickness and grain size of different filter media on particle removal efficiency was evaluated, based on the results of PM removal rate and the particle size distribution. The subsequent long-term clogging characteristics of different filter media were also investigated. The results showed that filter media presented different capabilities to capture PM, which could be enhanced by less layer thickness or finer grain size. Normally, PM with the size range of over 49 μm could be captured effectively if proper layer thickness and grain size of filter media were selected. Besides, PM removal rate was not related to the clogging resistance of filter media. Though it can capture a larger amount of PM, Vesuvianite still maintained remarkable clogging resistance. The results will be beneficial to filter media selection and system design optimization for pavement runoff treatment.
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