Fatigue Resistance of Asphalt Concrete Pavements. Peculiarity and Assessments of Potentials

This article presents the results of research of processes of deformation and destruction of asphalt concrete pavements under cyclic loads. As the ground for such approach to estimation of the asphalt concrete properties served the proof that regardless of the composition and structure of asphalt concrete with an equal amount of elastic (viscoplastic) bonds possess the same relaxation ability. This situation is a significant feature of the behaviour of asphalt concrete, which opens the way for the development of certain approaches to the analysis of their properties, evaluation of reliability and durability. The promising methodology for the comparative assessment of fatigue and cyclic durability of asphalt concrete by exploring the complex set of elastic and viscoplastic bonds in their structure depending on the temperature, magnitude, and modes of action of the loads is proposed in the presented work. In the future, the establishment of patterns of behaviour of asphalt concretes with the same set of elastic bonds is allows to optimize compositions based on the principles of temperature-structural analogy that is relevant in studying fatigue and cyclic durability as well as low-temperature crack resistance and shear stability.