Mechanical properties of bituminous mixtures under sinusoidal cyclic loadings: Experiment and modelling

Mechanical behaviour of bituminous mixtures is characterized by the great thermal sensitivity and the large viscous effects. This paper focuses on the linear viscoelastic (LVE) behaviour of bituminous mixtures that is considered for pavement design. The studied material is a GB3 mix (GB in French is “Grave Bitume”) which is often used for base course construction in France. Complex modulus tests are performed to determine the LVE properties of bituminous mix. Sinusoidal cyclic loadings in tension and compression for small strain amplitudes (up to 10-4 m/m) are applied on cylindrical samples at different temperatures (from -23.4°C to 39.1°C) and different frequencies (from 0.03 to 10Hz). The complex modulus E* and complex Poisson’s ratio ν* are obtained for these large ranges of temperature and frequency. From all these data, it is shown that within the linear viscoelastic domain and in the 3D case, the Time Temperature Superposition Principle (TTSP) is applicable and verified. A model with a continuum spectrum called 2S2P1D (2S2P1D means two Springs, two Parabolic elements, one Dashpot), developed at the Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’Etat (ENTPE), is used to simulate the 3D LVE behaviour of tested bituminous mixture. Keywords: linear viscoelasticity; bituminous mixture; modelling; complex modulus; complex Poisson’s ratio.