Study on Performance Damage and Mechanism Analysis of Asphalt under Action of Chloride Salt Erosion

This study aims to investigate the performance evolution and mechanism of asphalt under action of chloride salt erosion. Asphalt samples soaked with five different snow melting chloride salt concentrations were taken as the research object. Then, the high-temperature performance, low-temperature performance, temperature sensitivity and asphalt–aggregate adhesion property of asphalt samples were carried out. Additionally, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to explore the mechanism of chloride salt erosion on asphalt. Test results showed the linear variation relationships of high-temperature performance, low-temperature performance and temperature sensitivity with chloride salt concentrations. The high-temperature performance of asphalt would be improved by chloride snowmelt salt. With the increase in the chloride salt solution concentration, the low-temperature performance of asphalt became worse, and the temperature sensitivity increased. Moreover, after the effect of the chloride salt solution, the asphalt–aggregate adhesion property decreased with the increase in the chloride salt solution concentration. It is necessary to control the amount of chloride snowmelt salt in the actual snow removal projects. Finally, based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the mechanism of chloride salt erosion on asphalt was preliminarily explored. With the increase in the chloride salt solution concentration, the proportion of light components (saturated fraction, aromatic fraction) in asphalt decreased, and the proportion of heavy components (resin and asphaltene) with good thermal stability increased.