Characterization and prediction of rutting resistance of rock asphalt mixture under the coupling effect of water and high-temperature

In recent years, the use of rock asphalt as modifier has attracted research interests because of the advantage in improving the thermal stability of asphalt mixture, which is conducive to the rutting resistance of asphalt pavement in high-temperature regions. However, due to a large rainfall in most of high-temperature regions (e.g., China southeastern coastal areas and south China areas), the high-temperature effects and water effects explain interdependently the rutting decay of rock asphalt mixture, which is neglected in existing studies. It is necessary to investigate the coupling effect of high-temperature and water on the rutting resistance of rock asphalt mixture. In response to the above questions, water saturated characteristics of rock asphalt mixture at high-temperature are investigated to determine the water absorption conditions via a new index, namely the water saturated ratio. Moreover, a total of sixty groups of modified wheel tracking tests for rock asphalt mixtures are implemented to reveal the coupling effect of water and high-temperature on the rutting resistance with the change of water conditions, temperatures and rock asphalt dosages. The temperature and water play an important role in the rutting resistance of rock asphalt mixture. Finally, a Bayesian approach for modelling the dynamic stability is also established to predict the rutting resistance of rock asphalt mixture and evaluate the effect degree of different factors. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.