Study on Mechanics‐Based Cracking Resistance of Semiflexible Pavement Materials

Abstract

Semiflexible mixture is a composite paving material combining the advantages of both asphalt and cement concrete materials. It consists of matrix asphalt skeleton and cement mortar. Due to the different volume characters between asphalt structure and cement mortar, stress concentration always happens in this semiflexible mixture, leading to internal cracking. The objective of this study is to alleviate the internal cracking concern of the semiflexible mixture by adjusting the material components. To this end, optimal material design and numerical simulation have been conducted. Matrix asphalt structures with four different air voids were incorporated with different dosages of cement mortar. The contraction strain and expansion strain of cement mortar as well as the indirect tensile strength of matrix asphalt structure were measured. The results were input into ABAQUS for numerical simulation. The results indicated that (1) the internal stress in this semiflexible mixture is mainly determined by the contraction of cement mortar, rather than expansion; (2) larger air void of matrix asphalt structure and less volumetric variation of cement mortar reduce the internal stress; (3) once the air void of matrix asphalt structure is decided, both maximum contraction and expansion deformations of cement mortar should meet specific requirement to ensure less internal cracking. This is a practical-ready paper that provides reference for the anticracking design of semiflexible pavement.

The Influence of the Application Layer of Pouring Semi-Flexible Pavement Material on Low-Temperature Stress

“…Utilizing image processing techniques, the spatial arrangement of the constituent phases-comprising materials and voids-within PSFM has been discerned and segmented into grids to facilitate numerical simulations. Wang [15] noted that the volumetric changes, particularly the expansion or contraction of the cement-based grouting material, In understanding the critical factors influencing the cracking propensity of SFP, it becomes imperative to delve into the underlying mechanisms governing their cracking behavior. Utilizing image processing techniques, the spatial arrangement of the constituent phases-comprising materials and voids-within PSFM has been discerned and segmented into grids to facilitate numerical simulations.…”

“…Utilizing image processing techniques, the spatial arrangement of the constituent phases-comprising materials and voids-within PSFM has been discerned and segmented into grids to facilitate numerical simulations. Wang [15] noted that the volumetric changes, particularly the expansion or contraction of the cement-based grouting material, engender tensile stresses within the composite material. Notably, lower temperature-induced contractions pose a significantly higher risk to the structural integrity of PSFM.…”

Study on Air-Purifying Performance of Semi-Flexible Asphalt Samples Coated with Titanium Dioxide Using Different Methods

“…There are two common approaches to add it onto road surfaces. One method is to replace equal quality of mineral powder with TiO 2 particles, which is considered as MT coating method [18]. The other common method is called WT coating method, which takes the TiO 2 particles dissolving into water and spraying it onto road surface [19].…”

Fatigue Resistance and Cracking Mechanism of Semi-Flexible Pavement Mixture

“…Temperature also has an important influence on the crack resistance of the SFP mixture [16,17]. Based on the above research, the methods to improve the crack resistance of the SFP include: adding materials to strengthen the bonding between three-phase material interfaces [14], reinforcing three-phase materials [18], adjusting gradation or material mix ratio [19], optimizing pavement structure and layer position [20][21][22][23].…”