Evaluation of Asphalt Mixture Low-Temperature Performance in Bending Beam Creep Test

Abstract

Low-temperature cracking is one of the most common road pavement distress types in Poland. While bitumen performance can be evaluated in detail using bending beam rheometer (BBR) or dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests, none of the normalized test methods gives a comprehensive representation of low-temperature performance of the asphalt mixtures. This article presents the Bending Beam Creep test performed at temperatures from −20 °C to +10 °C in order to evaluate the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. Both validation of the method and its utilization for the assessment of eight types of wearing courses commonly used in Poland were described. The performed test indicated that the source of bitumen and its production process (and not necessarily only bitumen penetration) had a significant impact on the low-temperature performance of the asphalt mixtures, comparable to the impact of binder modification (neat, polymer-modified, highly modified) and the aggregate skeleton used in the mixture (Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) vs. Asphalt Concrete (AC)). Obtained Bending Beam Creep test results were compared with the BBR bitumen test. Regression analysis confirmed that performing solely bitumen tests is insufficient for comprehensive low-temperature performance analysis.

Low-Temperature Requirements for Bitumen in Central East European Road Construction

“…In the evaluation of the road pavement behaviour at sub-zero temperatures, the speed of moving vehicles is less important than the stress from the load. Therefore, to assess the low-temperature properties of bituminous binders, it is reasonable to analyse stiffness of bitumen and asphalt mixture at low temperature under static load and ability to reduce the thermal stress in time as a relaxation (Pszczola, Jaczewski, Rys, Jaskula, & Szydlowski, 2018). The shape of the stiffness modulus curve as a function of the load time depends on the predominance of viscous or elastic properties at a given temperature.…”

Low-Temperature Performance and Evaluation Index of Gussasphalt for Steel Bridge Decks

“…e US SARP Program proposed using the low-temperature bending Young's modulus and creep strain rate [11]. Pszczola et al [12] used a bending beam creep test to evaluate the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. Fan et al [13] evaluated the low-temperature performance of asphalt concrete using a semicircle bending (SCB) test.…”

Investigation on Microstructural Damage Properties of Asphalt Mixture Using Linear and Damage-Coupled Viscoelastic Model

“…Gudmarsson et al [8] compared the complex modulus and complex Poisson's ratio determined through modal testing with cyclic tension-compression measured complex moduli and complex Poisson's ratio of asphalt mixture to further apply the simpler and more economic modal testing for characterizing the linear viscoelastic properties of asphalt mixture. Pszczola et al [9] performed the bending beam creep test at temperatures from −20 • C to +10 • C in order to evaluate the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. Furthermore, García et al [10], Zhang et al [11], and Huang et al [12] have developed numerical schemes for implementation of linear viscoelastic constitutive model in finite element (FE) codes to simulate the mechanical properties of asphalt mixture under certain conditions.…”