Prediction of Fatigue Cracking and Rutting in Asphalt Pavements by Small-ScaleCentrifuge Models

摘要

An investigation of the feasibility of the prediction of fatigue cracking andrutting in full-depth asphalt pavements by centrifuge modeling is contained in the report. The researchers constructed a small-scale model of a pavement section. The model was subjected to repeated loading tests in a centrifuge. The model was then removed from the centrifuge to directly measure the resilient tensile strains at the bottom of the asphalt layer and the accumulated permanent deformations near the pavement surface. The centrifuge ensured that the stresses and strains due to self-weight were the same in the small-scale model as in the prototype pavement. Tensile strain was measured instead of directly observing the fatigue cracking because of the very long testing time required for fatigue cracking to occurr. The models were tested to 10,000 repetitions, but more than one million repetitions may be needed to induce fatigue cracking. A static load test also was performed after the repeated load test.