Introducing a new test protocol to evaluate the rate of damage accumulation in mastics at intermediate temperatures

Asphalt mastic, the combination of fine-grained mineral particles and asphalt binder, plays a significant role on the performance of Hot Mix Asphalt mixtures. A clear understanding of the effects of both filler and asphalt binder, and their interaction, on the properties of HMAs is critical to ensure a proper mix design and pavement performance. Several researchers have studied the response of the mastic in terms of fatigue, rutting and fracture resistance using different load configurations and equipments. However, a fundamental interpretative model of mastic behaviour, that is intrinsic to that particular filler-asphalt binder combination, has not been defined yet. This study presents a new prototype test in direct tensile configuration to evaluate the rate of damage accumulation of the mastic at intermediate temperatures. The results presented are preliminary and are intended to evaluate the feasibility of developing an interpretative model of mastic at intermediate temperatures in terms of energy dissipation.