Expansion joints are a weak and fragile part of bridge superstructure. The damage or failure of the expansion joint will lead to the decline of bridge durability and endanger the bridge structure and traffic safety. To improve the service life and performance of bridge expansion joints, the ideal method is to use seamless expansion joints. In this study, starting from the commonly used asphalt mixture gradation of seamless expansion joint, and taking into account the actual situation of bridge expansion joint structure and environment in China, the gradation and asphalt-aggregate ratio are preliminarily designed. Through a Marshall test, the corresponding asphalt mixture is evaluated and analyzed according to the stability, flow value, and void ratio, and the optimal gradation and asphalt-aggregate ratio are determined. Finally, the asphalt mixture is prepared with the mixture ratio design, and the test results of an immersion Marshall test, fatigue performance test, and full-scale test verify that the asphalt mixture meets the road performance requirements of seamless expansion joints. On the basis of the experimental data, the performance of large sample asphalt mixture is continuously tested, compared, and optimized. The results show that the asphalt mixture ratio designed is true and reliable, which can provide reference for the optimal design of seamless expansion joint filler.
Modified Marshall Test assessment for emulsified asphalt cold mixes
