Nanostructure and damage characterisation of bitumen under a low cycle strain-controlled fatigue load based on molecular simulations and rheological measurements

Bitumen fatigue resistance is critical to determine the overall fatigue performance and service life of asphalt pavements. However, the mechanisms responsible for fatigue damage of bitumen have previously not been well understood. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation has recently emerged as a powerful computer-aided numerical technique to model...

Molecular dynamics simulation on bulk bitumen systems and its potential connections to macroscale performance: Review and discussion

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation plays an effective role in predicting the critical properties and explaining the macroscale phenomenon at the nanoscale. This review summarized the application cases of MD simulations in various bitumen systems, considering aging, modification, and rejuvenation factors. Meanwhile, the potential relationships...

Quantifying oxygen diffusion in bitumen films using molecular dynamics simulations

Bitumen in asphalt pavements reacts slowly with atmospheric oxygen, resulting in oxidative ageing. This oxidative reaction is strongly dependent on the physical diffusion of the oxygen into the bitumen. This study aims to use molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate the oxygen diffusion into the bitumen film and analyse the effects...