Experimental investigation into the multiscale behaviour of asphalt concrete

Multiscale modelling is an increasingly popular technique for understanding the mechanisms affecting the performance of asphalt concrete. Significant efforts have been made in computational modelling techniques; however, relatively little experimental data have been gathered on the effect of volumetric composition on the material behaviour, and no published data have been found assessing the sensitivity of computational models to these effects. It is believed that the overall importance of identifying and utilising the material with proper characteristics in these computational models has been largely overlooked. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the findings of an extensive experimental programme to identify the sensitivity of the dynamic shear modulus to changes in material composition. Tests were performed on four different material scales (asphalt binder to asphalt mixture). It is found that these materials can be very sensitive to changes in the volumetric composition, particularly in the case of asphalt mastics.