Evaluation of anti-reflective crack resistance based on the UFAC stress-absorbing layer
Objectives To address the issue of reflective cracking in"white and black"pavement technol-ogy,this paper proposes an optimized design for a skeleton-dense UFAC stress-absorbing layer.This de-sign,based on the CAVF method and the concept of rich asphalt,aims to overcome the shortcomings of the commonly used dense-graded super flexible asphalt concrete(SFAC)stress-absorbing layer,which tends to exhibit significant deformation and adversely affect the overlaid asphalt layer.Methods The finite element method using ABAQUS was employed to conduct a stress analysis of the"white and black"pave-ment structure.Additionally,the reflective cracking resistance of the materials and structure was evaluated through accelerated loading tests,impact toughness tests,and splitting tests.Results Under heavy load con-ditions,the vertical displacement difference between the UFAC stress-absorbing layer and the SFAC stress-absorbing layer is 5.93×10-2 mm.Consequently,the vertical compressive stress(σy),maximum principal stress(σmax),and maximum shear stress(τ12)at the bottom of the asphalt overlay are reduced by 24%,32.3%,and 27.7%,respectively.In cases where the pavement has severe or typical voids,the fatigue crack resistance of the asphalt overlay structures based on the UFAC stress-absorbing layer is improved by 48%and 36%,respectively,compared to the GAC overlay pavement structures.Additionally,compared to the traditional dense-graded sand-asphalt AC-5 stress-absorbing layer,the skeleton-dense UFAC-5 stress-absorbing layer exhibits a 60.8%increase in impact toughness and a 16.8%improvement in splitting tensile strength.Conclusions The significant deformation characteristics of SFAC stress-absorbing layers can ad-versely affect the overlaid asphalt layer,leading to reflective cracking and premature pavement damage.The asphalt overlay technology based on the UFAC stress-absorbing layer addresses these issues by increasing the thickness of the conventional modified asphalt film to ensure the necessary fatigue tensile strength.Ad-ditionally,it employs a skeleton-dense gradation to significantly enhance the interlocking capacity and internal friction of the aggregate,reducing interlayer structural deformation.This effectively mitigates the occur-rence and progression of reflective cracks in the asphalt overlay.