Damage Fracture Characterization of Asphalt Mixtures Considering Freeze–Thaw Cycling and Aging Effects Based on Acoustic Emission Monitoring

Freeze–thaw (F–T) cycling and aging effects are the main factors contributing to the deterioration of asphalt mixtures. The acoustic emission (AE) technique enables real-time detection regarding the evolution of internal damage in asphalt mixtures during the loading process. This study set out to investigate the effects of F–T cycling and aging on the damage characteristics of asphalt mixture under splitting loads. Firstly, the Marshall specimens were prepared and then exposed to various numbers of F–T cycles (one, three, five, and seven) and different durations of aging (short-term aging and long-term aging for 24, 72, 120 and 168 h), after which the specimens were loaded by means of indirect tensile (IDT) testing, and corresponding parameters were synchronously collected by the AE acquisition system during the fracture process. Finally, the energy, cumulative energy and peak frequency were selected to investigate the damage mechanisms of asphalt mixtures. The findings demonstrate that the AE parameters provided effective identification of the deterioration for all specimens in real-time, and that the F–T cycling and aging effects altered the damage characteristics of asphalt mixtures, causing early damage, exacerbating the formation of micro-cracks in the early stage, accelerating the expansion of macro-cracks and advancing the debonding between the asphalt and aggregates. The findings of this study provide further insight into the mechanism of F–T cycling and aging effects on the deterioration of asphalt mixture.