Mechanical damage evaluation of geosynthetics fibres used as anti-reflective cracking systems in asphalt pavements

• A new methodology to simulate damage due to installation of geosynthetics was developed.
• Mechanical and thermal effects of a Hot Mix Asphalt installation were simulated.
• Physical and mechanical damage of three different geosynthetics were analysed.
• Geosynthetics fibres presented several damages thus implying a properties variation.

Geosynthetics are composite materials usually employed as anti-reflective cracking systems in asphalt pavements. However, materials that compose geosynthetics can be damaged due to mechanical and thermal effects produced during the installation process under Hot Mix Asphalts (HMAs). Although different studies have been carried out with the aim of evaluating the damage due to installation on geosynthetics, it is still not clear which variables have more influence on the deterioration of these materials and on the reduction of their properties. Therefore, the main objective of this paper was to evaluate the physical and mechanical damage produced on fibres of geosynthetics used as anti-reflective cracking systems in asphalt pavements. With this purpose, a new procedure to simulate in laboratory conditions the damage produced by the spread and compaction of a HMA on geosynthetics has been developed, by using dynamic compaction of aggregates at high temperatures. Thus, this procedure experimentally simulates the thermal and mechanical loads that geosynthetics undergo when they are used as anti-reflective cracking system. Thereby, different synthetic fibres such as polyester, polyvinyl-alcohol and glass fibres have been evaluated under the developed procedure. Finally, the reduction of physical and mechanical properties has been evaluated by using contrast tests, quantifying the damage produced on the fibres of geosynthetics after different deterioration procedures. Main conclusions of this research established that damage procedure using dynamic compaction of aggregates did not significantly reduce mechanical properties of the fibres strings evaluated by tensile tests on the studied geosynthetics. However, these results were different depending on the material that compose the geosynthetics.