Mechanical performance of mechanomutable asphalt binders under cyclic creep and recovery loads

• MAB modify their mechanical behavior when they are activated by a magnetic field.
• MAB behave as smart materials offering a wide range of engineering applications.
• MAB improve their resistant against plastic deformations.
• An increase in the magnetic particle content improve its mechanical behavior.

Mechanomutable asphalt binders are able to modify their mechanical behavior when they are activated by a magnetic field. Under the effect of the magnetic field, these binders can increase their stiffness and perform elastically, and once the magnetic field is removed, the material recovers its original visco-elastic properties. Because of this fact, these smart materials could offer a wide range of interesting engineering applications. One such use could be its incorporation into structures that are required to support cyclic loading, such as asphalt pavements, as they can be punctually activated to minimize the impact of traffic loads. Based on these considerations, this paper studies the mechanical performance of mechanomutable asphalt binders under cyclic loads similar to those occurring in real pavements during their service life. For this purpose, a magneto-rheometer has been used to carry out different multiple stress creep and recovery tests under different magnetic field strength. The results obtained show that, in spite of the fact that these binders do not have a significant recovery capacity, they can reduce the cumulative permanent deformations produced in them due to the effect of cyclic loads when they are under the effect of a magnetic field.

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