Prediction of Fatigue Cracking in Flexible and Semi-rigid Asphalt Pavement Sections

The prediction of asphalt pavement performance has been the focus of many studies. The characterization of fatigue resistance has been proposed by means of laboratory testing, field data evaluation, and numerical and analytical models. In relation to laboratory characterization, there is no consensus on which test should be performed, on the failure criterion, on the test conditions or on the specimens’ geometry. For asphalt mixtures, the most common tests are the cyclic indirect tension test (ITT), the four-point bending beam test (4PBBT), and the tension–compression (push–pull) test. The present research characterized one hot mix asphalt (HMA), and the results were used in different performance models, including the newly proposed mechanistic-empirical design method for Brazilian asphalt pavements. The results indicate that the conventional prediction model provided by the mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) tends to overestimate the fatigue life of analyzed asphalt pavement. The main reason for this is attributed to the fact that this model does not consider relevant inputs, such as base layer stiffness, climate conditions, and the viscoelastic characteristics of the asphalt mixture. The proposed Brazilian design method resulted in predicted values of cracked areas that were similar to the values observed in the field, which highlights the importance of the use of models calibrated with respect to local conditions.