ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The use of complex modulus for asphalt mixture characterization is still restricted to special projects in Brazil. Nevertheless it is recognized the importance of leveling ongoing national research efforts towards a new pavement design methodology with international state-of-the-art developments. The work presented herein concentrates on testing and analysis procedures for characterizing stiffness of asphalts mixtures considering its properties dependency on aging evolution. It uses an existing aging phenomenological model and it also proposes an aging experimental procedure. The referred model utilizes an internal state variable and four materials constants. Coupling the aging and well-established linear viscoelastic models, storage and loss moduli results at two different aging states are predicted. A simulation of the change in dynamic modulus with time (aging) is also presented to illustrate the potential of the modeling approach. This work is part of a continuing research at Universidade Federal do Ceará, at Fortaleza, Brazil, involving extended aging times, methodology, materials and further modeling efforts.
