At low temperatures bituminous surfacings become stiff and brittle. In these conditions, the effects of heavy traffic loads and the resulting deflection of base or subgrade may cause cracking in the surface materials. The ability of a bituminous mix to withstand this type of cracking is defined by its flexural properties. The role of fillers on this property is eminent. In this work, small beams consisting of one type of an asphaltic concrete (AC) mix and containing various types and amounts of fillers were prepared. Flexural test was conducted at various low temperatures ranging from 0 C° down to -30 C°. A parameter named "flexural toughness", defined as the area under stress-strain curve has been calculated for each AC mix. This together with the flexural modulus is shown to be appropriate tools for the determination of flexural properties of mixes containing different fillers. (A) The German title of this article is: Der Einfluss des Füllers auf Biegen-Verhalten von Asphalt bei Tiefen Temperaturen.
Abstract