Asphalt Mixtures and Flexible Pavement Construction Degradation Considering Different Environmental Factors

Water, frost, and road salt are counted as environmental factors. They affect the pavement structure, particularly during the winter or in regions located above sea level. In the article, a literature review related to water, frost, and road salt impacts was performed. The main problem of evaluating asphalt mixture degradation and its influence on pavement fatigue life via environmental factors was stated. Four types of asphalt concrete (AC22) road mixes were prepared for laboratory tests. They differed in production technology and the type of binder applied. One binder content level was tested. To investigate the impact of water, frost, and road salt on mineral-asphalt mixtures utilized in flexible constructions, two proprietary experimental methods were applied. Methods allowed for determining the mixtures’ degradation level using the measured stiffness modulus in the 4-PB-PR test. Based on the obtained results, it was found that both interactions cause a significant decrease in the value of the stiffness modulus. In the article, a degradation ratio was proposed. The ratio expressed the impact of water, frost, and road salt on the stiffness mix variability. Its value was considered for pavement fatigue life based on the AASHTO 2004 fatigue criterion. The article demonstrates that the type of binder used influences the mix’s resistance to water, frost, or road salt impact. The highest resistance was reached by a mixture with highly modified asphalt (hot technology), and the worst was with asphalt WMA (warm technology). It has also been proven that the impact of water, frost, or road salt on pavement fatigue life is significant. The drop was significant, amounting to a few dozen percent. It was stated that environmental impacts (such as water, frost, or road salt) should be considered in asphalt mixture and pavement construction design.