Exploring the recovery of fatigue damage in bituminous mixtures: the role of rest periods

摘要: Recovery capability of bituminous materials plays a significant role in the development new technologies for extending service life asphalt pavements. This originates from various phenomena such as thixotropy, cooling, relaxation hardening, or healing. However, their real effect on mechanical response is not clear. article aims to investigate how rest periods (RPs) available between traffic loads can contribute damage recovery materials. For this purpose, different types and durations RPs were applied during laboratory evaluation fatigue resistance these using University Granada Fatigue Asphalt Cracking Test method. The results indicate that addition loading regime could lead an extension Additionally, increase RP duration showed positive impact against cyclic loading. Nonetheless, benefits are only related lost properties RPs, but also growth amount plastic deformations result applying delay appearance damages (i.e. cracking). Consequently, material tolerate higher number load cycles test.