摘要: |
Research was undertaken to find a quick and simple procedure for determining the permanent deformation characteristics of asphalt concrete mixes. Data on pavement structure, rutting, traffic level, and temperature were available for a number of test sections of the Strategic Highway Research Program's General Pavement Studies (GPS) and from Colorado sites. During a previous study, finite-element computations had indicated a strong linear relationship between rut depth and maximum shear strain developed in the field. Availability of field cores and data from GPS sites, along with the finite-element results, prompted a laboratory study to find a quick procedure to estimate permanent deformation of asphalt concrete pavements. Repeated simple shear tests at constant height were performed on specimens 6 in. (15 cm) in diameter by 2 in. (5 cm) high obtained from these cores. The shear stress was haversine in shape, with a peak magnitude of 10 psi (kPa), and was applied for 5,000 cycles at the mean highest average 7-day maximum pavement temperature and at a depth of 2 in. (5 cm). Maximum shear strain for each site was determined from the reported rut depth on the basis of the linear relationship between the two parameters. Then the number of laboratory cycles to yield this value of shear strain was determined. The number of laboratory cycles determined in this way was correlated with the traffic level (equivalent single axle loads) that had resulted in the reported rut depth. The correlation was encouraging, especially regarding pavements less than 10 years old with an R squared value of about 0.68. For all pavements that did not exhibit excessive aging, this relationship was obtained with R squared = 0.80. On the basis of this relationship, a simple procedure to evaluate the mix potential for permanent deformation is proposed. |