A four phase micro-mechanical model for asphalt mastic modulus

•Micromechanical are applied to a viscoelastic matrix embedded with stiff particles.•Existing models do not describe the viscoelastic stiffening in these materials.•A physico-chemical based explanation is proposed and evaluated.•The physico-chemical interaction explains the observed viscoelastic stiffening.

In this paper, existing formulations for predicting the stiffening effects of graded aggregate particles at moderate and high concentrations in a viscoelastic matrix (asphalt) are evaluated. These functions encompass dilute, micro-mechanical, and phenomenological solutions, but each is found to produce qualitatively and quantitatively unsatisfactory results at all particle concentrations. These shortcomings are hypothesized result from the inability of these models to consider a third phase of the composite, a physico-chemically influenced layer at the aggregate surface. A model to account for this layer is developed and applied to predict the stiffening of asphalt mastics across a range of volumetric concentrations. The model is found to predict the stiffening responses at moderate concentrations well, but under predicts the responses at the highest concentrations. At these concentrations, particulate contact and internal structure development occurs and provides an additional stiffening mechanism that the four phase model does not account for. The under predictions at these higher concentrations are thus expected and rational.