Degradation of hot mix asphalt samples subjected to freeze-thaw cycles and partially saturated with water or brine

In the province of Quebec, during winter and spring, hot mix asphalt (HMA) is subjected to freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs). This paper presents a part of a general research programme which aims to characterise damage generated on HMA samples by FTCs, under dry and partially saturated (PS) conditions, with water (PSW) or brine (PSB). The samples were subjected to complex modulus (E*) test after different number of FTCs, which allowed us to assess the evolution of the damage due to freeze-thaw sequences. Rheological model, 2S2P1D, was used to simulate the behaviour of the HMAs. The 2S2P1D model well simulates the linear viscoelastic behaviour of the HMAs. Over the FTCs, damage is observed for all samples. But is seen to be much higher for the PSW sample. For PS samples, the time–temperature superposition principle (TTSP) is less valid over the FTCs. A different shift factor evolution could be observed below and above the ice formation temperature. Damage due to FTCs seems to have a greater impact at high temperatures and low frequencies.