Development of a Laboratory Rutting Resistance Testing Method for Asphalt Mixes

摘要

A loaded wheel testing machine (LWT machine) was used successfully in the previous studies to evaluate the rutting characteristics of asphalt mixes. The objective of the study was to modify and improve the machine and the sample preparation method and to develop a testing procedure for using the machine. The improvements and modifications made to the LWT machine include the development of an environmental chamber attached to the machine for maintaining a constant elevated temperature for the test sample during the rutting test and the development of a preheating box for preconditioning the test sample to the prescribed elevated temperature. The temperature of the beam samples can be heated and maintained up to 125F at + or - 1F variation. Other modifications and improvements were made for the control and operation of the testing machine. Another major effort was to develop a beam sample preparation method by static compression using a universal testing machine.