A superimposed cohesive zone model for investigating the fracture properties of concrete–asphalt interface debonding

A cohesive zone model is proposed to simulate the interface debonding, a preponderant cause of failure for bonded concrete overlay of asphalt (BCOA). The model is constructed by superimposing four root models, each representing the mechanism of one subcritical failure at the interface zone observed in laboratory experiments. The model parameters are established through an inverse analysis of wedge splitting tests performed on BCOA specimens. These inputs are mainly a function of the materials at the interface zone, such as microtexture and macrotexture, and thus can be expected to be applicable to the numerical simulation of a full scale BCOA slab. For modeling across scales, the impact of specimen size, milling depth and initial flaw size on the model, in terms of peak traction and fracture energy, is also discussed.