Effect of Compaction Levels on Moisture Susceptibility in Asphalt Mix

Abstract

The sensitivity to moisture in asphalt pavements is a significant problem. The moisture-related problems are due to two main reasons—adhesive failure, which refers to strip** of asphalt film from aggregate surface, and cohesion failure, which refers to the loss of mixture stiffness. Other factors are responsible for moisture damage in asphalt such as construction technique, mix design, drainage, and weather conditions. This study investigates moisture damage of hot mix asphalt mixture as a function of compaction levels. In the laboratory, the moisture sensitivity of the mixture was studied, such as volumetric characteristics, stability, and indirect tensile strength (control and conditioned). Samples were fabricated in the laboratory with the asphalt grade VG30 with varying compaction levels such as 75, 60, 50, and 40 blows per face. The performance of mix concerning volumetric properties, tensile strength, and its ratio was obtained and analyzed. The investigation showed that the compaction levels significantly influenced stability and tensile strength of asphalt mix. The performance of the mix also reduced at various compaction levels.