The semi-circular bending (SCB) test is becoming a more popular candidate for measuringasphalt mixtures fracture properties. It is a simple and inexpensive test, the sample preparation isstraight forward, and the mode of failure in SCB samples is due to tensile stress induced bybending. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using the SCB test toquantify asphalt mixture fracture properties. Seven asphalt mixtures were tested in thelaboratory. Part of the experimental program results were used to develop and calibrate anextended finite element model (XFEM) coupled with cohesive zone modeling (CZM). TheXFEM-CZM model was then used to investigate crack propagation in SCB and to predict SCBsimulations for experimental results not used in the calibration process. The model calibrationhad a very good agreement with the experimental results and the model successfully predictedthe SCB testing results. Based on XFEM-CZM results the crack propagation in SCB is mainlyattributed to tensile stresses.
展开▼
