Comparative Study on Temperature Stresses in Asphalt Material Using Nonlinear Viscoelastic Approach

An accurate estimate of temperature stress in asphalt pavements is an important consideration for colder regions. In asphalt, a viscoelastic material, the developed stress depends on the trend of temperature variation and the relaxation modulus of the asphalt mix. This paper presents a comparative study of the temperature stresses by considering different temperature profiles for the same temperature differential and different relaxation models for the same asphalt mix. A nonlinear viscoelastic approach was used for the stress calculation. From this study, it was concluded that both the temperature profile and the relaxation model significantly affect the stress profile. Also, for cases in which the rate of change of the temperature was nonlinear, the computed maximum stress value for a given temperature profile seemed to be different within few cycle periods.