FATIGUE TESTING

Dr Ignacio Artamendi
Aggregate Industries
Technical & Development Department

IAT National Training Day 24 September 2008

Fatigue of asphalt mixtures

Fatigue cracking occurs when an asphalt layer is
subjected to repeated loading under the passing traffic

Alligator pattern typical in fatigue cracking

2

Severity levels

Low

Moderate

High

Mechanism
Development of tensile strains at the bottom of the asphalt layer
of sufficient magnitude to initiate cracking that eventually
propagates up to the surface (bottom-up cracking).

compression

tension

compression

Test configurations

3-point bending

Trapezoidal

4-point bending

Prismatic

2-point bending

Tension/compression

Indirect tension
5

Testing modes
Controlled strain: the strain (deformation) is kept
constant by decreasing the stress (load) during the test.
Applicable to thin flexible pavements.

Controlled stress: the stress (load) is maintained

constant and the strain (deformation) increases during
the test.
Applicable to thick pavement construction.

Controlled strain test

0

Stress
Strain

Sinusoidal loading

2.0

300

1.8
1.6
strain amplitude

200

Stress (MPa)

Strain ( m/m)

250

150
100

stress amplitude

1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4

50

strain mean

stress mean

0.2

0.0
0

100000

200000

300000
N (cycles)

400000

500000

600000

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

N (cycles)

Controlled stress test

0

Stress
Strain

Sinusoidal loading

2.0

450

1.8

400
stress amplitude

350
Strain ( m/m)

Stress (MPa)

1.5
1.3
1.0
0.8
0.5

strain amplitude

300
250
200
150
100

stress mean

0.3

strain mean

50
0

0.0
0

10000

20000

30000
N (cycles)

40000

50000

60000

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

N (cycles)

Definition of failure

1
N f = C1

where:
Nf

C1, m

=
=
=

number of load applications to failure

tensile strain
material regression coefficients

Failure in constant strain 50 % reduction in initial stiffness

Failure in constant stress 10 % reduction in initial stiffness or
when the sample fractures

Arbitrary definitions of failure

9

Fatigue data: stiffness evolution

10000

6000
4000

Phase I

E* (MPa)

8000

2000

Phase II

Phase III

0
0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

N (cycles)

Phase I: rapid reduction of stiffness due to internal heating of the sample.

Phase II: approximate linear reduction in the stiffness (crack initiation stage)
Phase III: rapid drop in stiffness attributed to coalescence of micro-cracks to
form a sharp crack (crack propagation stage).
10

Dissipated energy
800

95% E

600

70% E

Strain

400
Stress (kPa)

Stress

200
0
-150

-100

-50

0
-200

50

100

150

-400
-600
-800
Strain (m icrostrain)

wi = i i sin i
Dissipated energy (area within the hysteresis loop) is lost in the
material in the form of mechanical work, heat generation or damage.

11

EN 12697-24 Resistance to fatigue

Two point bending test on trapezoidal specimens
Two point bending test on prismatic shaped specimens
Three point bending test on prismatic shaped specimens
Four-point bending test on prismatic shaped specimens
Indirect tensile test on cylindrical shaped specimens

12

Two-point bending trapezoidal test

13

Two-point bending trapezoidal test

Standard European fatigue test (EN 12697-24).
Specified test in France for material design (Level 4).
Large database (France).
Test is performed at low-intermediate temperature (10
0C).
Controlled strain (deflection) and stress (load) modes
of testing but strain control specified.
Specimens are difficult to to fabricate.
Large number of specimens required (18).
Duration 30 days
14

Four-point bending (4PB) test

15

Four-point bending (4PB) test

Standard European fatigue test (EN 12697-24).
Preferred test in most European countries and USA
(AASHTO TP9).
Good repeatability and reproducibility has been
reported.
Specimens are easy to fabricate.
Test is performed at low temperatures (10 0C) where
cracking occurs.
Controlled strain (deflection) and stress (load) modes
of testing.
2nd Workshop on 4PB, 24-25 September, Portugal.
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ITFT

17

ITFT
The ITFT is the most commonly used fatigue test in the
UK.
The ITFT as per BS DD ABF is not a European
Standard test. (The Indirect Tensile Test is , however, included
in EN 12697-24).
Test is performed at 20 0C (No fatigue cracking at this
temperature!).
Controlled stress test only.
No good control of the applied load (stress).

Load capacity of the equipment to test stiff materials

such as EME2 is limited.
18

ITFT specimens after testing

Failure modes for ITFT ( high stiffness materials and/or
low temperatures)

Fatigue cracking

Vertical permanent
deformation

Indentation of
loading strips

19

ITFT load control

Poor control of the load (stress) at high stresses (>1000 kPa) for high
stiffness materials and/or low temperatures.
2000

10

Vertical deformation (mm)

Tensile stress (kPa)
1600

8
7

1200

6
5

800

4
3

Tensile stress (kPa)

Vertical deformation (mm)

400

2
1
0
0

20000

40000

60000

0
80000

No of load applications

Temperature = 10 0C Stiffness = 13500 MPa Target stress = 1000 kPa

20

European work on fatigue (RILEM)

1.E+09

Same material
11 laboratories

1.E+08

T = 10 0C
Nf

1.E+07

1.E+06

1.E+05

Indirect tension test ITT

1.E+04

1.E+03
10

100

1000

0(m/m)
ENTPE (T/C)

KTH (4PB)

LCPC (2PB)

CRR(SS)

CRR(BS)

UofL (4PB)

IBDiM (4PB)

DWW (4PB)

DWW (3PB)

VTI (ITT)

CONSULPAV (4PB)

21

European work on fatigue (RILEM)

200
180

6 (m/m)

160
140
120
100
80
60

Indirect tension test ITT

40
20

TP
EN

)
/C
(T

H
KT

)
PB
4
(

PC
C
L

P
(2

B)

)
SS
(
R
CR

)
BS
(
R
CR
U
NS
O
C

AV
P
L

P
(4

B)
D
IB

iM

P
(4

B)
W
DW

PB
(4

)
W
DW

PB
(3

IT
I(
T
V

T)
fL
Uo

P
(4

B)

22

Healing
8000
7500

Stiffness (MPa)

7000
6500
6000
5500
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

Number of cycles

During a rest period the material recovers its properties (stiffness)

23

Pavement design
Analytical design
Moving wheel
Maximum tensile strain
(m)
Bituminous layer
Horizontal tensile strain

Fatigue relationship
Cementitious or unbound
granular layer

Subgrade

Horizontal tensile strain in

cement bound layers
Vertical compressive stress and
strain

1
N f = C1

Transfer function

LR1132
Log N= -9.38 - 4.16logm (DBM)

N (million standard axles)

Log N= -9.78 - 4.32logm (HRA)

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Summary
Fatigue cracking major distress mode in asphalt
pavements.
Different equipment available (2PB, 3PB, 4PB, ITT).
Different testing modes (strain / stress).
Different failure criteria
Fatigue testing is specified in EN 12697-24.
Variability between test methods.
ITT and UKs ITFT not recommended.
Data can be used to rank materials and in pavement
design.
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Thank you
Any questions?

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