Practical application of continuum damage theory to fatigue phenomena in asphalt concrete mixtures
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abstract
A useful modification of continuum damage equations originally presented by Kim et al. is described in this paper. Several practical applications of these relationships are presented, including reduction of laboratory fatigue data and analysis of fatigue damage in asphalt concrete pavements. A rapid procedure for performing and analyzing laboratory fatigue tests is presented. Data gathered using this procedure was combined with flexural fatigue data produced during the Strategic Highway Research Program to develop a semi-empirical equation for estimating fatigue life from volumetric composition, degree of compaction and asphalt binder rheological type (R-value). Based upon these analyses, the authors recommend that for applications requiring fatigue resistant asphalt concrete, design VBE values below 12 % should be avoided and good field compaction should be emphasized. Further research is needed to evaluate the relationships among fatigue resistance, healing rate and asphalt binder rheology.
