Original Approach to Predict Fatigue Endurance Limit of Asphalt Binders Considering Healing Capacity

More phenomena interact (e.g. viscoelasticity, damage, healing) contributing to the overall behavior of binders in terms of fatigue endurance limit. However, currently there is no consolidated analytical approach inclusive of strength recovery during rest periods to characterize fatigue performance. This research proposes a criterion to determine the resistance of binders subjected to monotonous cyclic loading with multiple rest times by using a Dynamic Shear Rheometer. Main rheological properties are measured and the modeling of their evolution during each stage is proposed. The experimental program includes different binders in order to investigate the effects of SBS modification levels and aged binder contents on healing potential. Beyond the classical component related to damage analysis, the proposed criterion enables to identify other fundamental contributions, leading to a comprehensive fatigue endurance limit. This approach allows distinguishing binders taking into account their healing capacity and should provide a better correlation with in-service performance of mixtures