ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Viscoelastic properties of asphalt binders strongly influence the performance of asphalt pavements. These properties can be described in terms of relaxation and retardation spectra. The spectra contain sufficient information from which the mechanical properties of binders can be determined. The range of frequencies or times over which the various experimental data were obtained, has a significant effect on the quality of the spectra. Different techniques can be employed to expand the range of relaxation and retardation times, these involve the combination of different types of tests. In the case of the asphalt binders studied, the creep experiments at lower temperatures (BBR) were coupled with the small amplitude oscillations (DSR) at higher temperatures. To combine the spectra obtained from these two types of tests, we used a numerical technique which was applied for two conventional asphalt binders of different origin. A practical example of predicting the response of asphalt binders in multiple creep and recovery tests is also demonstrated.
