Investigation of viscoelastic fracture fields in asphalt mixtures using digital image correlation

In this work we have studied the fracture behavior of asphalt mixtures, a heterogeneous mix of hard aggregates (usually in the form of crushed quarried rock) with a petroleum based asphalt binder, used in paving applications. Specifically, we studied the dependence of asphalt mixes’ fracture response on loading rate, temperature, and recycled content—the latter used primarily to replace virgin materials like aggregates and binder. Fracture tests were conducted on semi-circular bend edge cracked specimens obtained from mixes with different compositions, and the fracture event was recorded with a camera to allow for digital image correlation (DIC) measurements. DIC, with a spatial resolution of about 40 μ m/pixel, measured the far-field strain and displacement fields developing around a preexisting notch tip. Our focus here is on characterizing the material behavior by quantifying its viscoelastic response and fracture properties. The elastic–viscoelastic correspondence principle was used to extract viscous and elastic components from the full-field DIC-measured strain and displacement fields. Various energy dissipation mechanisms other than the fracture itself were evaluated. Stress–strain response and energy dissipated in the far-field regions were quantified. The pseudo-elastic stress intensity factor was then used to study the fracture properties, and quantify the effects on fracture properties of loading rate, temperature, and recycled content in the binder. It was seen that the viscoelastic characteristics of the material were a dominant factor in the material behavior obtained at room temperature. In general, the elastic component of the displacement was only up to about 30% of the total displacement, indicating a strong influence of viscoelasticity in this state. Loading rate, temperature and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) content all affected the viscous response by introducing more elastic response when loading rate or recycled content increased or when temperature decreased. It became clear from these macroscopic measurements that the increase of RAS content considerably embrittles the material producing less viscous effects and less energy dissipated in the far-field, almost comparable to reductions associated with the loading rate increase (from 6.25 to 50 mm/min) or the temperature change (- 12 to 25∘C).