The Introduction and Application of Cohesive Zone Model on Asphalt Concrete Fracture Behavior

The cohesive zone model (CZM) is being increasingly used to simulate fracture and fragmentation processes in metallic, polymeric, and ceramic materials and their composites. The CZM regards fracture as a gradual phenomenon in which separation takes place across an extended crack tip. This paper introduces the concept of CZM, the constitutive relations of CZM, the influence of the shape of the interface law and up-to-date applications of CZM to bituminous mixtures and pavement structures. Furthermore, some current challenges and the future directions to the modeling of fracture in bituminous materials and pavements are briefly discussed.