Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Indirect determination of size effect on strength of asphalt mixtures at low temperatures

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Materials and Structures Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Low temperature cracking of asphalt pavements is a major distress in cold regions. Accurate assessment of strength of asphalt mixtures at low temperatures is of great importance for ensuring the structural integrity of asphalt pavements. It has been shown that asphalt mixtures behave in a quasibrittle manner at low temperatures and consequently its nominal strength strongly depends on the structure size. The size effect on the strength of asphalt mixtures can be directly measured by testing geometrically similar specimens with a sufficiently large size range. Recent studies have shown in theory that for quasibrittle structures, which fail at the macrocrack initiation from one representative volume element, the mean size effect curve can also be derived from the scaling of strength statistics based on the finite weakest link model. This paper presents a comprehensive experimental investigation on the strength statistics as well as the size effect on the mean strength of asphalt mixtures at −24 °C. It is shown that the size effect on mean structural strength can be obtained by strength histogram testing on specimens of a single size. The present study also indicates that the three-parameter Weibull distribution is not applicable for asphalt mixtures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. AASHTO M320-10-UL (2010) Standard method of test for performance graded asphalt binder. Am Assoc State Highw Transp Off

  2. AASHTO T322-07-UL (2007) Determining the creep compliance and strength of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) using the indirect tensile test device. Am Assoc State Highw Transp Off

  3. Ang AH-S, Tang WH (1984) Probability concepts in engineering planning and design Vol II. Decision, risk and reliability. Wiley, New York

  4. Bažant ZP (2005) Scaling of structural strength. Elsevier, London

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Bažant ZP, Li Z (1995) Modulus of rupture: size effect due to fracture initiation in boundary layer. J Struct Eng ASCE 121(4):739–746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Bažant ZP, Novák D (2000) Energetic-statistical size effect in quasibrittle failure at crack initiation. ACI Mater J 97(3):381–392

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bažant ZP, Pang S-D (2006) Mechanics based statistics of failure risk of quasibrittle structures and size effect on safety factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103(25):9434–9439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bažant ZP, Pang S-D (2007) Activation energy based extreme value statistics and size effect in brittle and quasibrittle fracture. J Mech Phys Solids 55:91–134

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. Bažant ZP, Planas J (1998) Fracture and size effect in concrete and other quasibrittle materials. CRC Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  10. Bažant ZP, He S, Plesha ME, Rowlands RE (1991) Rate size effects in concrete fracture: implication for dams. In: Saouma V, Dungar R, Morris D (eds) Proceedings of the international conference on dam fracture, University of Colorado, Boulder, 255–261

  11. Bažant ZP, Le J-L, Bažant MZ (2009) Scaling of strength and lifetime distributions of quasibrittle structures based on atomistic fracture mechanics. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(28):11484–11489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Cannone Falchetto A, Montepara A, Tebaldi G, Marasteanu MO (2012) Microstructural characterization of asphalt mixtures containing recycled asphalt materials. J Mater Civ Eng ASCE 25(1):45–53. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Chen W-F, Yuan RL (1980) Tensile strength of concrete: double punch test. J Struct Div 106:1673–1693

    Google Scholar 

  14. Duffy SF, Powers LM, Starlinger A (1993) Reliability analysis of structural ceramic components using a three-parameter Weibull distribution. Trans ASME J Eng Gas Turbines Power 115:109–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Fisher RA, Tippett LHC (1928) Limiting forms of the frequency distribution of the largest and smallest member of a sample. Proc Camb Philos Soc 24:180–190

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. Gross B (1996) Least squares best fit method for the three parameter Weibull distribution: analysis of tensile and bend specimens with volume or surface flaw failure. NASA TM-4721 1–21

  17. Gumbel EJ (1958) Statistics of extremes. Columbia University Press, New York

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. Haldar A, Mahadevan S (2000) Probability, reliability, and statistical methods in engineering design. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hasegawa T, Shioya T, Okada T (1985) Size effect on splitting tensile strength of concrete. In: Proceedings of the Japan Concrete Institute 7th conference, pp 309–312

  20. Kim J-K (1989) Size effect on the splitting tensile strength of concrete and mortar. Report No. CM 89-3, Korea Adv Inst Sci Technol, Seoul

  21. Le J-L, Bažant ZP (2009) Finite weakest link model with zero threshold for strength distribution of dental restorative ceramics. Dent Mater 25(5):641–648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Le J-L, Bažant ZP, Bazant MZ (2011) Unified nano-mechanics based probabilistic theory of quasibrittle and brittle structures: I. Strength, static crack growth, lifetime and scaling. J Mech Phys Solids 59:1291–1321

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  23. Le J-L, Eliáš J, Bažant ZP (2012) Computation of probability distribution of strength of quasibrittle structures failing at macro-crack initiation. J Eng Mech ASCE 138(7):888–899

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Li X, Marasteanu MO (2010) The fracture process zone in asphalt mixture at low temperature. Eng Fract Mech 77:1175–1190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Pang S-D, Bažant ZP, Le J-L (2008) Statistics of strength of ceramics: finite weakest link model and necessity of zero threshold. Int J Fract 154:131–145

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  26. Rinne H (2009) The Weibull distribution. A Handbook. CRC Press, London

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  27. Rocco C (1996) Influencia del tamaño y mecanismos de rotura del ensayo de compresion diametral. Dissertation, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid

  28. Rocco C, Guinea GV, Planas J, Elices M (1995) The effect of boundary conditions on the cylinder splitting strength. In: Wittmann FH (ed) Fracture mechanics of concrete structures. Aedification Publisher, Freiburg

    Google Scholar 

  29. Sabnis GM, Mirza SM (1979) Size effects in model concretes. J Struct Div 105(6):1007–1020

    Google Scholar 

  30. Stanley P, Inanc EY (1985) Assessment of surface strength and bulk strength of a typical brittle material. In: Eggwertz S, Lind NC (eds) Probabilistic methods I. The mechanics of solids and structures. Springer, Berlin, pp 231–251

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  31. Turos M, Cannone Falchetto A, Tebaldi G, Marasteanu MO (2012) Determining the flexural strength of asphalt mixtures using the bending beam rheometer. In: Proceedings of the 7th RILEM conference on cracking in pavement, 4:11–20

  32. Zegeye E, Le J-L, Turos M, Marasteanu MO (2012) Investigation of size effect in asphalt mixture fracture testing at low temperature. Road Mater Pavement Des 13:88–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The support provided by NCHRP-IDEA 151 is gratefully acknowledged. The results and opinions presented do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsoring agency. The authors would also like to acknowledge Dr. Chris Williams at Iowa State University for his assistance with the preparation of the asphalt mixture slabs, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation for providing the materials used in this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota, 500 Pillsbury Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Augusto Cannone Falchetto, Jia-Liang Le, Mugurel I. Turos & Mihai O. Marasteanu

Authors
  1. Augusto Cannone Falchetto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jia-Liang Le
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mugurel I. Turos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mihai O. Marasteanu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jia-Liang Le.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cannone Falchetto, A., Le, JL., Turos, M.I. et al. Indirect determination of size effect on strength of asphalt mixtures at low temperatures. Mater Struct 47, 157–169 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-013-0052-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-013-0052-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation