ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The modified Lottman test method is frequently used for the evaluation of moisture susceptibility of asphalt concrete mixtures. Unfortunately, the test is known to be very variable and sometimes provides erroneous results. In this paper the various variables which are introduced in the T 283 test procedure due to moisture conditioning procedure are investigated via micro-scale finite element analyses. For the finite element meshes, X-Ray tomography scans are made of two gyratory and Marshall compacted mixtures. These mixtures are computationally analyzed for their outside and inside pore-space distribution, the moisture infiltration is simulated via finite element analyses and the resulting moisture fronts are discussed. From the research presented in this paper it can be seen that the two different compactions and geometries can result in entirely different moisture concentrations inside the specimen. This can have a significant impact on the variability of the test results.
