Prediction of low temperature cracking of asphalt concrete mixtures with thermal stress restrained specimen test results

• Main Author: Kanerva, Hannele K.
• Other Authors: Vinson, Ted S., Lundy, James R., Janoo, Vincent C., Ingle, James D., Bell, J. R., Bell, Chris A., Civil Engineering, Oregon State University. Graduate School
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English; unknown
• Published: Oregon State University
• Subjects: Asphalt concrete > Effect of temperature on; Asphalt concrete > Cracking; Pavements; Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory; Alaska
• Online Access: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/rb68xf090

Low temperature cracking is attributed to tensile stresses induced in an asphalt concrete pavement that develop when the pavement is subjected to a cold temperature. Cracking results in poor ride quality and a reduction in service life of the pavement. Low temperature cracking has been predicted by regression equations, mechanistic approaches and by simulation measurements. The purpose of the study reported herein is to (1) evaluate the Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST) as an accelerated performance test to simulate low temperature cracking of asphalt concrete mixtures and (2) develop a deterministic and probabilistic model to predict low temperature cracking with TSRST results. Construction histories, cracking observations and temperature data were collected for five test roads in Alaska, Pennsylvania and Finland. A full scale and fully controlled low temperature cracking test program was conducted at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (USACRREL). Specimens were fabricated in the laboratory with original asphalt cements and aggregates from the test roads. In addition, asphalt concrete pavement specimens were cut from the test sections. The TSRST results obtained for these samples were correlated with the field observations. Based on a statistical analysis of the data, the TSRST fracture temperature is associated with the field cracking temperature and crack frequency for the test roads where mixture properties dominated low temperature cracking. It was concluded that the TSRST can be used to simulate low temperature cracking of asphalt concrete mixtures. A deterministic and a probabilistic model were developed to predict crack spacing as a function of time using the TSRST results, pavement thickness and bulk density, pavement restraint conditions and air temperature. The affect of aging on pavement properties was incorporated in the models by predicting the field aging with Long Term Oven Aging (LTOA) treatment in the laboratory. The calculation of the crack spacing is ...