Evaluation of reflective cracking in pavements using a new procedure that combine loads with different frequencies

Reflective cracking is one of the most common failure modes of roads and it is mainly caused by traffic loading and thermal variations. In this paper, a new laboratory procedure has been developed. The study has been carried out applying a combined cyclic load that overlaps two loads with different frequencies and amplitudes. The aim of the test was to study crack propagation in asphalt mixtures and to evaluate the effectiveness of geosynthetics as anti-reflective cracking systems. Results indicate that low frequency loads produce more damage than high frequency loads and that the presence of a geosynthetic retards the propagation of cracks.