摘要: |
Highway agencies have long searched for a mechanistically-based lab test to reliably determine the strength and load-resistance of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mixes. The dynamic modulus (E*) test, known to some researchers since the 1960s, is a possible solution to this search. Currently, 2 major efforts in pavement research, revising the AASHTO Guide to the Design of Pavement Structures and Modeling for Superpave, rely on the use of E*. The current draft of the upcoming 2002 revision of the AASHTO Guide to the Design of Pavement Structures uses E* to characterize mixes used on interstate highways and other high-volume highways that require superior load resistance. Testing is currently underway to make sure that the E* test is practical for use by the states, with reliable and usable results. The goal is the eventual adoption of the E* protocol as an approved AASHTO procedure. This article describes dynamic modulus, discusses the advantages of the E* test method, and details how the test is conducted. |