Fatigue Life of Pre-Cut Seam Asphalt Mixture Composite Beams: A Combined Study of Fatigue Damage Evolution and Reflective Cracking Extension

This study investigated the impact of reflective cracking on the fatigue performance of asphalt pavements after milling and resurfacing under various conditions. Fatigue life was assessed through four-point flexural fatigue tests, while the crack extension pattern of composite beams was analyzed by digital image correlation (DIC) at both macroscopic and microscopic scales. Evaluation parameters such as stress ratios, immersion time, porosity, and types of viscous oils were assessed. A fatigue life prediction model of composite beams was established, accounting for the combined influence of these factors. To enhance the accuracy of determining composite beam failure, the critical fatigue damage was calculated by defining the damage variable in terms of the dynamic modulus. A nonlinear fatigue damage model was proposed, incorporating this critical damage under the combined influence of various factors. Additionally, a modified logistic function model was developed to describe the relationship between crack extension and failure life under different stress ratios, porosities, and viscous layer oil conditions. It was found that the modulus decay curves and the crack extension curves intersected at different stress levels as the life ratio increased. At the intersection, the modulus ratios were consistently around 0.55, marking the transition of the specimen from a stable to an unstable state. Beyond this point, the crack rapidly propagated, leading to a sharp reduction in the modulus until the specimen ultimately failed. Our results provide a basis for timing and conservation decisions.

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