Fatigue Destruction of Asphalt Concrete Pavement: Self- Organization and Mechanical Interpretation

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the fatigue failure of the asphalt concrete pavement of the highway on a macroscopic level. Based on the actual data, obtained on the sections of the real highways, the principle was formulated for the staged fatigue failure of the asphalt concrete pavement. During the analysis of the existing classifications of the fatigue cracks, it was determined that in Kazakhstan, the stage behavior of the fatigue cracks was not consid - ered, and in the USA, the relation between stages of failure was not established. Similarly to the known phenomena of self-organization in thermodynamics of irreversible pro - cesses and dynamics of nonlinear systems (synergetics)—Benar’s effects and division of biological cell, it was proposed to consider the parts of the asphalt concrete pavement as the specific dissipative structures, occurring in critical conditions, and a new regularity of fatigue failure was formulated. The formulated regularity of the staged fatigue failure of the asphalt concrete pavement was explained based on the new proposed scheme of bifurcation with the use of the results of experimental determination of the occasional, cyclic, long-term and residual strength.