Application of the Viscoelastic Continuum Damage Model to the Indirect Tension Test at a Single Temperature

The viscoelastic continuum damage model, developed based on Schapery's correspondence principle and the continuum damage mechanics, has received a great deal of attention because of its mathematical soundness and effectiveness in describing damage growth in viscoelastic media and has been used to make reliable estimations on the fatigue lives of asphalt mixtures. Its applications to field mixtures, however, have been limited because the model requires performing the uniaxial tension test. As an alternative, this study developed an analytical methodology for applying the model to the indirect tension test, which has been successfully used in testing both laboratory-made and field-cored mixtures. From the results of the indirect tension tests conducted on asphalt mixture at three different crosshead-controlled rates, it was found that the stress-pseudostrain curves could be superimposed onto one equality line in the linear viscoelastic range of the given mixture, and its rate dependency was successfully eliminated in the C-1 and S-1 plots. This indicates that the methodology developed for the indirect tension test has a capability of evaluating damage development in asphalt mixtures through the viscoelastic continuum damage model. It would be potentially of great benefit to pavement engineers who want to estimate the remaining lives of field mixtures.