Date Approved

6-20-2023

Embargo Period

6-22-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D. in Civil Engineering

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

College

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering

Advisor

Yusuf Mehta, Ph.D.

Committee Member 1

Cheng Zhu, Ph.D.

Committee Member 2

Gilson Lomboy, Ph.D.

Committee Member 3

Theresa Loux, Ph.D.

Keywords

Asphalt, Asphalt Mixtures, FTIR-ATR, IDEAL-CT, Moisture Damage, Surface Free Energy

Subject(s)

Asphalt; Highway engineering

Disciplines

Civil and Environmental Engineering | Engineering

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of asphalt oxidation and testing temperature on moisture damage in asphalt mixtures, using AASHTO T283 and Surface Free Energy (SFE) testing. The study assessed the impact of three asphalt binder grades (PG 64-22, PG 76-22, and PG 52-34) and three test temperatures (ALT, AIT, and CIT) on the susceptibility to moisture damage. Additionally, three oxidation levels (OTC, STOC, and LTOC) were evaluated to determine the optimal level of oxidation and testing temperature for AASHTO T283 to detect moisture damage. Load-displacement curve parameters and IDEAL-CT were analyzed to better understand the effects of oxidation and moisture conditioning on asphalt mixtures. The study also evaluated the effects of three oxidative levels (OB, RTFO, and PAV20) on moisture damage susceptibility using SFE testing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) attenuated total reflectance (ATR) was also used to quantify the effects of oxidative conditioning on asphalt binder chemical properties. The findings suggest that asphalt mixtures are more susceptible to moisture damage at STOC and LTOC than OTC, and that oxidation and CIT have the greatest impact on moisture damage susceptibility. The study highlights the need for an alternative oxidation conditioning and testing at CIT to detect moisture damage more accurately in asphalt mixtures.

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