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...

Evaluation of chemical composition and physical properties of bituminous binders and fractions

Bituminous binders are foreseen as colloidal dispersed systems characterised by high chemical complexity containing a plethora of molecules classified into maltenes and asphaltenes. The effect of these fractions on the overall response of bituminous binders remains elusive. This research selected two binders from the same refinery but with...

Dynamic mechanical analysis test for evaluating loose sands on a wide strain range application to the insight mission on mars

The dynamic properties of loose sands under low stresses are an unexplored topic in soil dynamics because these soil conditions are uncommon in most geotechnical structures on Earth. However, low densities and low-stress conditions prevail on other planets, like, for instance, the surface of Mars, for which particular attention is presently...

A Temperature-Independent Methodology for Polymer Bitumen Modification Evaluation Based on DSR Measurement

Owing to the continuous increase of traffic loads, bitumen modification has been manifested as an efficient methodology to enhance asphaltic pavement performance. Currently, the modification index, defined as the ratio of mechanical properties (e.g., complex modulus) before and after bitumen modification, is extensively adopted to evaluate the...

Low-Temperature and Fatigue Characteristics of Degraded Crumb Rubber-Modified Bitumen before and after Aging

The high viscosity and poor storage stability of crumb rubber-modified asphalt (CRMA) can be partially addressed by the appropriate degree of degradation of the crumb rubber modifier. However, the low-Temperature and fatigue characteristics of degraded crumb rubber-modified bitumen (DCRMB) in different aging states are not well understood. In...

Modelling of high concentration fluid mud water injection dredging density currents

Siltation of fine (cohesive) sediment in navigation channels and harbour basins may cause serious problems for the shipping industry. Intensive maintenance dredging is required to ensure safe shipping traffic. Conventional dredging methods are highly expensive, and therefore port authorities seek for more efficient solutions to reduce costs. One...

Towards an enhanced fatigue evaluation of bituminous mortars

The fatigue resistance, as a performance indicator, is of paramount importance for the selection and benchmarking of bituminous materials. The bituminous mortar can be considered as the medium that connects and envelopes the coarse aggregate skeleton, and hence will significantly influence the fatigue resistance at bulk-scale. Therefore this...

Capillary rheometer for magnetic fluids

Magnetic fluids have been around since the 1940s. They come in different forms: magnetorheological fluids (MR fluids) and ferrofluids. MR fluids characterise themselves by having a large change in viscosity under the influence of a magnetic field. Ferrofluids have a significantly smaller change in viscosity, however ferrofluids are colloidal...

Microcapillary magnetorheometer

Magnetorheological fluids, (MR fluids) have been around since the 1940's. After their discovery many applications followed, such as the MR clutch and MR damper. In these applications the fluids are subjected to ultra high shear rates although no knowledge is available on what happens to the rheological properties under these conditions. In...

Characteristics of ceramic fiber modified asphalt mortar

Ceramic fiber, with a major composition of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂, has advantages of stability at relatively high temperature, big specific surface area and resistance to external mechanical vibration. It has the potential contribution of improving the rutting resistance and temperature sensitivity of modified asphalt...

Characteristics of two-component epoxy modified bitumen

Coal tar bearing emulsions were used in the Netherlands as binder in anti-skid surfaces for runways because of their perfect adhesion and fuel resistance properties. They are however toxic and will not be allowed anymore after 2010. Therefore alternatives need to be developed. As one of the alternatives, two types of two-component epoxy modified...