Antonio Montepara

Microstructural Characterization of Asphalt Mixtures Containing Recycled Asphalt Materials

AbstractMost studies addressing the use of recycled asphalt materials in asphalt paving mixtures are based on experimental tests and performance evaluation. Investigating the effect of adding recycled materials to the microstructure of asphalt mixtures has received little consideration. For example, higher-order microstructural information can be used in place of simple volumetric information as input in micromechanical models that can more accurately predict the effective properties of asphalt mixtures. In this paper, the influence of adding three different recycled materials, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), manufacturer waste scrap shingles (MWSS), and tear-off scrap shingles (TOSS), on the microstructural distribution of the aggregate phase is investigated using digitally processed images of asphalt mixtures and numerical evaluations of two- and three-point correlation functions. No significant variations are found among the gradation curves, and minimal differences were observed for two- and three-p...

Strain Localization and Damage Distribution in SBS Polymer Modified Asphalt Mixtures

ABSTRACT A laboratory investigation was conducted to estimate the macroscopic cracking response of Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS) polymer modified asphalt mixtures by analyzing the localized strain distribution within the material microstructure. Five asphalt mixtures composed by the same aggregate gradation but different SBS modified asphalt binders were produced in the laboratory. An in-house developed Digital Image Correlation (DIC)-based system was employed to obtain 2D full-field strain maps of the specimens during tensile loading. Strain distributions were observed from three different test configurations, namely the Indirect Tensile Test (IDT), the Semi-Circular Bending (SCB) test and the Three-Point Bending (3PB) test. The cracking performances of the mixtures were evaluated using a visco-elastic fracture mechanics-based model entitled HMA Fracture Mechanics. The results clearly show the beneficial effect of SBS polymer modifier in redistributing the stress within the mastic.

Micromechanical Analyses for Measurement and Prediction of Hot-Mix Asphalt Fracture Energy

A verification of fracture energy density is presented as a fundamental fracture threshold in hot-mix asphalt. Fracture energy density was evaluated with the semicircular bending (SCB) test. Experimental analyses were enhanced by a digital image correlation system capable of providing a dense and accurate displacement-strain field of composite materials at the microstructural level and suitable for describing the cracking behavior of materials at crack initiation. The resulting fracture behavior in the SCB was predicted with a displacement discontinuity method to explicitly model the microstructure of asphalt mixtures and to predict their fracture energy density. The input parameters for the displacement discontinuity micromechanical model of the SCB were obtained from the Superpave® indirect tensile test. The predicted crack initiation and crack propagation patterns are consistent with observed cracking behavior. The results also imply that fracture in mixtures can be modeled effectively with a micromech...

The effect of polymer modification on hot mix asphalt fracture at tensile loading conditions

A laboratory investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of both cross-linked and linear styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) modifiers on the cracking resistance of hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures. Five types of asphalt mixtures composed by the same aggregate gradation but different asphalt binders were produced in the laboratory. The cracking performances of the mixtures were evaluated using a viscoelastic fracture mechanics-based model entitled ‘HMA Fracture Mechanics’. Crack localisation and crack growth were investigated performing the indirect tensile test and the semi-circular bending test. A digital image correlation system capable of providing full-field strain maps was applied. The results show the benefit of SBS modifiers to the mixtures cracking resistance in terms of reduced rate of damage accumulation and increased tensile limits to failure. Finally, significant damage and first fracture have shown to be strongly more localised in modified specimens than in the unmodified one.

Characterisation of asphalt mixture cracking behaviour using the three-point bending beam test

The use of a three-point bending beam (3PB) test was investigated to characterise hot mix asphalt (HMA) cracking behaviour. Fundamental HMA fracture properties, identified as tensile strength and fracture energy density at first fracture, were determined for six different asphalt mixtures (two natural and four SBS polymer modified) applying the HMA Fracture Mechanics framework. Full-field strain maps obtained from an in-house developed digital image correlation-based method were observed to better understand the crack initiation and propagation mechanisms in the 3PB specimen. The resulting fracture behaviour was predicted using a displacement discontinuity boundary element method to model the microstructure of the six asphalt mixtures and to predict their fracture properties. Both numerical and experimental results indicate that the fracture mechanism of asphalt mixtures can be properly described from 3PB test results when appropriate interpretation models are used.

Influence of Mixture Properties on Fracture Mechanisms in Asphalt Mixtures

ABSTRACT This paper reports a research study aimed at providing insight into key mechanisms and mixture properties that influence fracture in asphalt concrete. The experimental analysis was based on the Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Fracture Mechanics visco-elastic crack growth law. HMA cracking mechanism was investigated using multiple laboratory test configurations on both unmodified and polymer modified mixtures. A Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was employed to more accurately capture localized or non-uniform stress distributions in asphalt mixtures and as a tool for detecting first fracture. Crack initiation and crack growth were predicted effectively using a Displacement Discontinuity (DD) boundary element method.

PVC and PET plastics taken from solid urban waste in bituminous concrete

In recent years a shortage of natural resources for building transportation infrastructures urged the development of innovative technologies in the field of waste materials deriving from industrial manufactures or domestic use. This study attempts to give a contribution to the recycling of plastics deriving from solid urban wastes (Refuse Derived Plastics-RDP) in bituminous concrete. In particular, this research refers to the use of low degradable plastics, hard and nonmixable with bitumens (PVC and PET), as a possible replacement of a portion of the stone aggregate mixture. The aim was to find a way of reusing waste plastics in order to reduce their volumes in refuse disposal sites and at the same time to reduce the amount of inerts drawn from quarries, which often lead to environmental problems. In the first phase of the research, already carried out by the authors, the limits of this application were defined, as well as the best conditions of use of the above mentioned plastics by means of the traditional mechanical and rheological characterization tests of bituminous concrete (Marshall Test, Indirect Tensile Test, Static Creep Test). This paper treats the dynamic characterization of mechanical properties of bituminous concrete mixtures added with plastics. Dynamic tests were carried out, which allowed to draw Master Curves as the percentage of plastic material used in the mixtures varied and for different test conditions. Moreover, the fatigue behaviour of the different mixtures of bituminous concrete was analyzed. The results obtained confirmed that it is possible to use RDP to manufacture bituminous concrete, in particular hard plastics non-mixable with bitumens, on the condition that PVC and PET are thin milled, of a small size and used in limited quantities.

The odour fingerprint of bitumen

Bitumen is a very complex material with chemical composition and properties highly dependent on the crude oil source and refinery processes. Several analytical procedures were developed to understand the relationship between bitumen composition, microstructure and physical properties. Nevertheless, these techniques are expensive, time-consuming and involve significant drawbacks. Moreover, advanced research and industrial research have often different purposes and timing perspectives. Several bitumen operators require simpler and more suitable techniques for research and technology development, production and acceptance control and above all polymer modification. This necessity has led the authors to propose a new approach based on the artificial olfactory system (AOS), also known as electronic nose or e-nose. AOS is an instrument consisting of an array of partially selective sensors coupled to a suitable pattern-recognition system capable of recognising complex odours. The warm-up study highlighted the possibility of AOS to discriminate, already at room temperature without the need of sample pre-treatments, between bitumen produced with different origin crude oils and to verify the production stability in the same plant. Thus, these results indicate that the e-nose method may be used for quality assurance and quality control applications and for the fingerprinting of bitumen, showing a number of advantages over classical analytical instruments.

Mechanical behaviour of surface layer fibreglass-reinforced flexible pavements

The work presented in this paper aims at providing a better understanding of the mechanical response of surface layer fibreglass-reinforced flexible pavements. The surface reinforcement technique consists of installing a fibreglass grid in between the levelling layer (placed on the base course to seal and level the pre-existing distresses) and the wearing course (or overlay). Flexural fracture tests were performed on two-layered reinforced asphalt specimens composed of both levelling and wearing courses to simulate a real overlay structure. Three fibreglass grids characterised by different mechanical and/or geometrical properties were employed. Strain localisation and damage distribution were investigated using an in-house digital image correlation system capable of achieving highly accurate 2D full-field strain maps of the specimens during loading. Finally, an analytical model was developed on purpose to reproduce the mechanical response of the asphalt mixture-interlayer system.

DEM modelling analysis of tree root growth in street pavements

The coexistence of urban green spaces and infrastructure is often difficult. Trees find inhospitable environments in urban areas, whereas tree root systems can damage sidewalk, street and parking lot. The main form of failure concerns the growing of tree roots beneath the pavements, which produce upheavals and displacements on wearing course. The main objective of this study was a distinct element method modelling analysis of the potential interactions between tree root systems and street pavements. This calculation code allowed us to simulate the dynamic behaviour of the ground-pavement system as result of the roots growth. The performed modelling, representative of various planting strategies commonly used in urban contexts, have highlighted the progressive reduction of deformations with the increase of the roots penetration depth. Such displacements were strongly influenced by other factors such as the porosity and the grain-size distribution of the soil and the type of pavement considered.