The influence of the wave loads in the estimation of life to the fatigue of asphalt layer in pavement structure

The phenomenon of fatigue can be considered as one of the main causes of the asphalt surface course failure. The Four Point Bending Apparatus is the widespread equipment used to determine the fatigue resistance of asphalt mixtures. Worldwide there are several standard procedures that rule this test. The main difference between them remains in the waveform, in which the load is applied, and in the failure criteria. This paper reports the influence from the waveform, haversine or sinusoidal, on the fatigue resistance of an asphalt mixture. In addition, through numerical simulation, it was evaluated the influence of the models obtained in the design of the thickness of the asphalt layer required for the structure of a pavement. The conclusion is that the use of haversine waves in fatigue tests results in a fatigue life of the asphalt surface layer almost 67 times bigger than the ones found on sinusoidal tests.