The potential of using impact resonance test method evaluating the anti-freeze-thaw performance of asphalt mixture

Asphalt pavements around the world are generally subjected to water from different sources which may eventually make them susceptible to moisture damage. However, most of tests used to investigate the moisture damage are destructive, which will consume a lot of materials, energy and time to prepare the specimen. There is a need to find a simple and quick non-destructive test to evaluate the moisture damage of asphalt mixture. In this paper, the impact renounce test is employed and the possibility on evaluating the anti-freeze-thaw performance of asphalt mixtures is discussed. It is found that the dynamic modulus obtained by impact resonance test and repeated loading test method correlate very well, and using impact resonance test method we can well evaluate the anti-freeze-thaw performance of different asphalt mixtures. It is also found that the properties of neat asphalt have significant effect on the anti-moisture damage properties, and rubber asphalt mixture has better anti-freeze-thaw performance than neat asphalt mixture; the particle size of rubber powder also shows an impact on the resistance to freeze-thaw performance of asphalt mixture. Different specimen thicknesses and different tapping positions have significant effect on the repeatability of test results; it is recommended that using 4 cm thickness specimen and impacting on the edge of specimen to evaluate the degradation of asphalt mixture anti-freeze-thaw performance.