Determination of Asphalt Concrete Complex Modulus with Impact Resonance Test

Abstract

A methodology is presented to determine the dynamic modulus and phase angle of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) with much simpler, nondestructive impact resonance (IR) test. Thirty-five HMA mixtures with varying aggregate and binder characteristics were tested with the IR and conventional dynamic modulus tests. A comparison of the dynamic modulus and phase angle obtained from the IR tests and those measured from the conventional dynamic modulus tests demonstrates the reliability of the proposed procedure. However, it was found that the dynamic moduli from the IR tests at multiple temperatures constitute only the upper half of the master curve (i.e., the high frequencies). A combination of the IR test and the dynamic modulus test at 54.4°C or the IR test and Witczak's predictive equation at 54.4°C was found to provide accurate dynamic modulus master curves. The main advantage of these combinations of testing methods over conventional dynamic modulus testing is that they are much simpler and require less expensive testing equipment and setup.