Application of Viscoelastic Damage Computer Model for Asphalt Concrete Analysis in the FENIX Test

Abstract

One of the most efficient experimental techniques used in the field of asphalt pavements subjected to intense traffic loads from vehicles is the Fenix test. It was designed to measure the dissipated energy during the cracking of the mixture under cyclic loads. This paper addresses the application of a computational-numerical tool for investigating the asphalt concrete under the conditions of the Fenix experimental test. In particular, a computer model was applied to characterize the mechanical properties of an asphalt mixture. This numerical model is based on the Finite Element Method and a viscoelastic-damage constitutive model. The new application of the tool complements the experimental side of the Fenix test, broadening the knowledge about the asphalt mixes. A calibration-validation procedure was performed, based on a set of experimental data obtained from the Fenix test. Energy dissipation and time-dependent properties of the mix were analysed and transformed in numerical parameters, for three different displacement rates. The numerical model showed a high capability to model the material’s behaviour for several variables, leading to a fairly good approximation to the experimental reference.