Raveling of Asphaltic Mixes Due to Water Damage: Computational Identification of Controlling Parameters (05-0330) - MP-56
Niki Kringos, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Athanasios Scarpas, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands

Open graded asphalt mixes are often used for wearing surfaces of roads that are exposed to large amounts of rainfall throughout the year. The high permeability of the mix guarantees a fast drainage of the water away from the surface, thus increasing the road safety. However, the large amounts of water that flow through the asphalt have a negative effect on the material characteristics of the mastic and cause debonding of the aggregates from the mastic, called raveling. In order to understand and quantify the physical processes and the mechanics leading to raveling, an extensive, experimental and analytical, investigation is being undertaken at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. One of the goals of the investigation is the development of the Finite Element tool RoAM (Raveling of Asphalt Mixes), capable of simulating the gradual development of damage throughout asphalt mixes due to water infiltration. Desorption, diffusion and dispersion are included as fundamental processes. This paper shows the results of a computational analysis to identify the impact of the different water damage phenomena, and presents the results of a sensitivity study of the relevant parameters. From the computational analyses it is concluded that simulation of water damage in asphaltic mixes is possible if the desorption characteristics as well as the diffusion and the dispersion coefficients can be determined