ISSN: 0090-3973
Published Online: 16 November 2007
Page Count: 15

Suitability of Dynamic and Relaxation Tests for the Evaluation of Moisture Susceptibility of Asphalt Mixtures
Arambula, Edith
Postdoctoral Research Associate, FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, VA

Masad, Eyad
E. B. Snead I Associate Professor, Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX

Martin, Amy Epps
E. B. Snead I Associate Professor, Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX

Lytton, Robert L.
E. B. Snead I Associate Professor, Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, TX

(Received 1 June 2007; accepted 26 September 2007)

Abstract

The presence of waIn ter in asphalt pavements deteriorates their condition and causes distresses that result in high maintenance costs to state and federal agencies. The objective of this research was to execute dynamic and relaxation tests and evaluate their effectiveness in assessing moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixture specimens with different air void structures determined using X-ray computed tomography (CT) and conditioned using the modified Lottman procedure. The dynamic test consisted of the application of a sinusoidal cyclic compressive load on the specimen while maintaining the strain within a specified range. The relaxation test, performed in both direct tension and compression, consisted of the application of a constant static strain. A statistical analysis was used to study the effectiveness of the tests in evaluating the moisture susceptibility of the asphalt mixtures. The results showed that none of the tests (dynamic or relaxation) were consistent in differentiating between the moisture conditioned and unconditioned specimens or between the responses of the different mixtures within each condition. In addition, the results of the dynamic and relaxation tests were compared after applying different methods to convert frequency-domain data to time-domain data.

Keywords:
moisture damage, mechanical tests, dynamic test, relaxation test, asphalt mixture characterization, frequency-time interconversion

Paper ID: JTE101267
DOI: 10.1520/JTE101267
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