Determination of thermal properties of asphalt mixtures as another output from cyclic tension-compression test

This paper describes investigation into the change of temperature of asphalt mixtures during cyclic tests on cylindrical specimens. Tension-compression tests were performed at different strain amplitudes (from 55 μm/m to 133 μm/m). Temperature is measured at the surface and inside the specimen. From the analysis of the experimental results, the thermal conductivity (k) and the convection heat transfer coefficient (h) were determined during the steady temperature phase. The specific heat coefficient (C) of the material was determined during the transient temperature phase. This parameter is also indentified using a finite element simulation of the heat process. A thermal conductivity of 1.35 W/(m.°C) and a specific heat of 820 J/(kg.°C) were found for the asphalt mixtures used in this research. These values are quite realistic when compared to values proposed in the literature that are obtained using the traditional thermo-physical measurements. Furthermore, the thermal parameters obtained from FP2C, a device used for the identification of thermal properties of materials, confirm the results.