A Comprehensive Review on Reflective Cracking: Concept, Mechanism, and Laboratory Performance Tests (original) (raw)
Related papers
International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 2019
Reflective cracking is a frequent type of distress in asphalt concrete (AC) pavements that decreases pavement service life in a newly constructed AC overlay. In this study, natural zeolite and hydrated lime were added to crumb rubber modified (CRM) asphalt binder in order to assess their effects on reducing propagation of reflective cracks in composite pavements. CRM asphalt binder containing these additives was used in both AC overlay and sand asphalt interlayer to investigate crack propagation in the composite specimen under dynamic cyclic loading. The results show that asphalt interlayer modification is more effective than AC overlay modification (using CRM binders containing additives) in controlling reflective cracks. In other words, sand asphalt interlayer modification is more capable of absorbing the energy of crack propagation and, consequently, delaying the crack propagation. The results also indicated that simultaneous modification of both the interlayer and overlay significantly decreases reflective cracking potential. With respect to the significant role of additive type in crack propagation delaying, the results show that CRM binders containing natural zeolite are more efficient in crack mitigation compared to CRM binders containing hydrated lime.
Mitigation of Reflection Cracking in Asphalt Concrete Overlay on Rigid Pavements
E3S Web of Conferences
Reflective cracking is one of the primary forms of deterioration in pavements. It is widespread when Asphalt concrete (AC) overlays are built over a rigid pavement with discontinuities on its surface. Thus, this research work aims to reduce reflection cracks in asphalt concrete overlay on the rigid pavement. Asphalt Concrete (AC) slab specimens were prepared in three thicknesses (4, 5, and 6 cm). All these specimens were by testing machine designed and manufactured at the Engineering Consulting Office of the University of Baghdad to examine for the number of cycles and loads needed to propagate the reflection cracking in the asphalt concert mixture at three temperatures (20, 30, and 30°C). It was noticed that the higher thickness AC mixtures increased the reflection cracking performance life of the AC overlay. Also, it was found that the number of crack initiation and failure cycles increased as the temperature increased. In contrast, the increased temperature decreased the required...
Development of High Performance Asphalt for Prevention of Reflective Cracking
2010
Many methods for prevention of reflective cracking by use of sheets, grids or stress absorbing membranes have been applied for the existing concrete slab pavements or asphalt pavements with severe cracks. Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) with high performance asphalt is developed for prevention of reflective cracking. The asphalt is 177 in penetration and 84 degree Celsius in softening point (TR&B). It is modified asphalt with a high-content SBS and a small amount of newly developed additive. The m-value by BBR test of the asphalt is twice that of conventional SBS-modified asphalt. The SMA with the developed asphalt is high in stress absorbing capacity and flexibility as well as in rutting resistance. The number of load cycles to rupture by flexural fatigue test of the SMA with this asphalt is over 200 times as great as that of the SMA with a conventional modified asphalt. Two test pavement sections were built in August 2003 on a national highway in Niigata Prefecture. The objective of the test was to observe asphalt overlays on concrete slab pavements. The thickness of concrete pavement was designed for 1,000 heavy vehicles per day. One of the test sections consisted of a 6-cm thick SMA and the other consisted of a 3-cm thick dense graded asphalt concrete plus a 3-cm thick stress absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI) on the concrete slab. Four years after overlaying, an inspection of reflective cracking was performed. The percentage of reflective cracking was 0.1% in the SMA section and 10.2% in the SAMI section From these observations, it could be concluded that the SMA with the developed high performance Asphalt might be useful for overlays to prevent reflective cracking on concrete pavements.
Evaluating Alternative Solutions to Reflective Cracking Through Asphalt Overlays
Transportation Research Record, 1989
The problem of reflection cracking through asphalt overlays can be approached from the design perspective of the factors or mechanisms involved, the alternative treatments available, and the analyses and testing required to evaluate the treatments. Then, a selection of the best alternative, provided it satisfies economic criteria, can be made and implemented. This paper concentrates on evaluation and first illustrates how an analytical method, based on a wide-crack band theory in finite element formulation, can effectively be used for the first step of the process. Then, it illustrates how the most promising alternative treatments can be experimentally evaluated. Test procedures and example results are used for this purpose, and relationships between induced stress, or strain energy, and cycles to failure are presented. Selection, installation, and follow-up considerations are briefly discussed. It is pointed out that even with the most technically and economically feasible alternat...
A three-dimensional finite element model was developed to investigate the fracture behavior of a hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlay on a jointed concrete pavement (JCP). Moving vehicular loads were applied to the HMA overlay on top of a joint to develop reflective cracking. A bilinear cohesive zone model (CZM) was inserted in the HMA overlay right over the joint. An interface constitutive model was implemented to specify interfacial behaviors between HMA-concrete layers. This study primarily examined the effects of interface bonding conditions on reflective cracking. The local and global behaviors of reflective cracking were investigated under various interface conditions regarding interfacial stiffness and bonding strength. Reflective cracking potential is quantified with representative fracture area (RFA), which represents a fractured area in the cross section of the HMA overlay. As a result, the fractured area increases significantly as the interface bonding strength becomes lower. On the contrary, the fractured area decreases slightly as the interface stiffness becomes lower.
Reflective Cracking Included into Routine Design of New Asphaltic Pavements
2016
During the past decades, it has been experienced that reflective cracking is a very complex phenomenon. Not only which one of the possible mechanisms behind the reappearance of cracks in new pavement surfaces (traffic, temperature variations in time or uneven settlements) is dominant, depends on the typical circumstances of a specific project, but also a variety of maintenance solutions often seems to be applicable. Examples are: (combinations of) thick overlays, use of modified asphaltic mixtures, application of stress-relieving systems or the incorporation of reinforcement. At motorway and airfield (maintenance and rehabilitation) projects there usually is time, budget and information. At those large projects it pays tribute to include reflective cracking into the routine design, because a cement treated base or concrete slabs are quite often present. From these specific pavement layers, cracks or joints propagating into and through the asphaltic overlay is the dominant mechanism....
Transportation Research Record, 2006
In overlaid pavements, working cracks in existing pavement systems propagate upward to the new pavement surface and cause reflective cracking, one of the most serious causes of deterioration in overlay systems. Several techniques to reduce reflective cracking have been introduced. However, the reflective cracking mechanism is not yet well understood. Fracture mechanics have been applied in pavement analysis to investigate crack development. A single-edge notched beam test was simulated with the finite element method with the cohesive zone model, which has been widely used to simulate a cohesive crack. The effects of steel reinforcement, interface, and hot-mix asphalt (HMA) properties on crack initiation time and crack propagation rate were investigated. A damage value, an indication of the degradation of the initial stiffness of the material in cohesive elements, was used to define the degree of softening and to trace crack formation. On the basis of elastic analysis, the crack initiation time for the reinforced beam was five times greater than that of the unreinforced beam, and crack propagation rate was reduced by two and one half to six times at −10°C. Conversely, when viscoelastic analysis, which is a more realistic simulation of HMA behavior, is used, the improvement in controlling reflective cracking is approximately half the improvement for the same loading and temperature conditions. This improvement depends on shear stiffness at the interface, crack length, and HMA temperature. In general, steel reinforcement, when installed properly, enhanced the resistance to reflective cracking.
Effects of Interface Conditions on Reflective Cracking Development in Hot-Mix Asphalt Overlays
Road Materials and Pavement …, 2010
A three-dimensional finite element model was developed to investigate the fracture behavior of a hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlay on a jointed concrete pavement (JCP). Moving vehicular loads were applied to the HMA overlay on top of a joint to develop reflective cracking. A bilinear cohesive zone model (CZM) was inserted in the HMA overlay right over the joint. An interface constitutive model was implemented to specify interfacial behaviors between HMA-concrete layers. This study primarily examined the effects of interface bonding conditions on reflective cracking. The local and global behaviors of reflective cracking were investigated under various interface conditions regarding interfacial stiffness and bonding strength. Reflective cracking potential is quantified with representative fracture area (RFA), which represents a fractured area in the cross section of the HMA overlay. As a result, the fractured area increases significantly as the interface bonding strength becomes lower. On the contrary, the fractured area decreases slightly as the interface stiffness becomes lower.
IRJET, 2021
Currently on national interstate highway system several thousand kilometer of Asphalt concrete overlay of Portland cement concrete exit as huge percentage of PCC pavements are in need of repair work or approaching towards end of design life span. It was estimated back in 1991 that PCC pavements on Illinois interstate highway system had been overlaid with AC due to increase in heavy truck traffic loading on concrete pavements. Hence composite pavements are increasing at tremendous rate. As a result of this reflective cracking which is common type of distress is observed in composite pavement. When underlying joints and cracks in PCC Pavement reflects through the AC overlay then it is termed as reflective cracking. Propagation of reflection cracking shown by practical experience is at the rate of 1in per year. Based on the study of literature survey a summarized review is presented for each reflection cracking mitigation method studied.