ABSTRACT
Asphaltic mixes are self-healing materials since they have the capacity to close internal micro-cracks at higher temperatures or under external force. To trigger their self-healing, asphalt mixes modified with inductive agents can be heated and in that way healed through applying alternating magnetic fields with the aid of an induction coil and this technique is named induction healing. This paper assesses the potential of implementing induction healing in an existing asphalt pavement with steel slag. Cores have been drilled from a field section of a mix with steel slag and were fatigue damaged in an indirect tensile test and healed via induction. The material induction healing potential has been visualized through different X-ray CT scans over the thickness of samples. The induction heating speed of asphalt mixes with steel slag was evaluated as well. The main conclusion in this study was that the total fatigue life of asphalt with steel slag can be enhanced with induction heating. The efficiency of micro-cracks closure was the same over the thickness of asphalt mixes and in combination with the high heating speed (∼1.8°C/sec), induction becomes a very promising alternative for various pavement operations.
