Correlation between high temperature performance of gussasphalt mixture for steel bridge decks and rheology of asphalt mastic

Rutting is a prevalent issue in the Gussasphalt (GA) mixture layer of steel bridge deck pavements. This study aims to investigate the correlation between the rheology of GA mastic and the high-temperature performance of the GA mixture. To achieve this objective, GA mastic underwent temperature and frequency sweep tests, along with multiple stress creep and recovery tests employing a dynamic shear rheometer. Additionally, indentation tests, uniaxial penetration tests, and Lueer fluidity tests were conducted on the GA mixture. The Grey Relational Analysis method was employed to evaluate the relationship between asphalt mastic rheology and the high-temperature deformation resistance of the GA mixture. The findings reveal that the addition of mineral filler enhances the deformation resistance of both GA mastic and the mixture. The percent difference in non-recoverable creep compliance (Jnr-diff) was minimized when the weight ratio of filler to asphalt binder (F/B) was 2.5. Furthermore, increasing the F/B ratio from 2.0 to 3.5 resulted in a more than twofold increase in the GA mixture’s shear strength. Asphalt type emerged as a significant factor affecting the indentation parameter of the GA mixture, with an F-value reaching 8.82 based on ANOVA analysis. The rheological properties of GA mastic exhibited a significant correlation with the high-temperature performance of the mixture. The highest Grey Relational Grade of 0.87 was observed between the non-recoverable creep compliance at a 3.2 kPa stress level (Jnr3.2) and indentation. In future research, greater emphasis can be placed on exploring the micromechanical properties of the GA mastic-aggregate interface.