Determination of the failure limit in a repeated-load fatigue test in the laboratory has relied entirely on the arbitrary selection of a fixed criterion. The constant strain and constant stress modes of fatigue loading have been described by a consistent definition of failure in flexural fatigue testing because of the distinctly different application of energy during the loading history. The most widely accepted definition is a decrease in initial stiffness by 50 percent. Procedures examining energy input and dissipated energy have required different schemes for each mode in an attempt to describe similar states of damage in the mixture. A proposed method is presented for examining dissipated energy to select a consistent level of material behavior that is indicative of the damage accumulation in the mixture. This procedure shows the similarity between the constant stress and constant strain modes of testing and is shown to provide the potential for unifying the now phenomenological description of fatigue with a more rational energy-based description.

The nature of the interaction process between asphalt cement and crumb rubber modifier (CRM) has not been fully understood. Two main types of mechanisms that affect the produced binder properties are reported: particle swelling and degradation (devulcanization and depolymerization). These mechanisms occur as the binder is subjected to different combinations of interaction time and temperature. Insight into the mechanisms by which the interaction between the two materials takes place through monitoring the changes in the rheological parameters of the binder is provided. The effects of the interaction process variables, time and temperature, are explained. The effect of CRM properties, including particle size and material source, is also discussed.

The existence of a fatigue endurance limit has been postulated for a considerable time. With the increasing emphasis on extended-life hot-mix asphalt pavement, or perpetual pavement, verification of the existence of this endurance limit, a strain below which none or very little fatigue damage develops, has become a substantial consideration in the design of these new multilayered full-depth pavements. Fatigue data are presented that were collected on a surface mix and a binder mixture tested for an extended period from 5 million to 48 million load repetitions at strain levels down to 70 microstrain. The fatigue results are analyzed in the traditional manner and using the dissipated energy ratio. This analysis shows that there is a difference in the data at normal strain levels recommended for fatigue testing and at the low strain levels. This difference cannot substantiate an endurance limit using traditional analysis procedures, but the dissipated energy approach clearly shows a distinct change in material behavior at low flexural strain levels, which supports the fact that at low strain levels the damage accumulated from each load cycle is disproportionately less than what is predicted from extrapolations of fatigue testing at normal strain levels. This reduced damage may be attributed to the healing process. The conclusion of this study is that laboratory testing can verify the existence of a fatigue endurance limit in the range of 90 to 70 microstrain below which the fatigue life of the mixture is significantly extended relative to normal design considerations.

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