Evaluation of the Fracture Resistance of Asphalt Mixtures Based on Bilinear Cohesive Zone Model

The cohesive zone model was employed to study the fracture resistance of asphalt mixtures at low temperature. The bilinear traction-separation curve that directly reflects the magnitudes of the tensile strength, fracture energy, and failure separation of asphalt mixtures was proposed to evaluate the fracture resistance of asphalt mixtures. The fracture resistance of the asphalt mixtures with the nominal maximum aggregate size of 13 mm using different asphalt types and asphalt contents and at different temperatures was evaluated using the proposed method. The results of the study indicate that the proposed method can be used to comprehensively evaluate the fracture resistance of asphalt mixtures.