Crack propagation prediction of asphalt pavement after maintenance as a function of initial cracks distribution

Abstract The fatigue life obtained in the Lab is far from the service life of the field roads because of the influence of pavement maintenance. To evaluate the remaining service life of existing roads, the fracture mechanics principles were conducted to characterize the fatigue cracking of asphalt pavement in Jiangsu province of China. The statistics theory was applied to build a new model as a function of the distribution of initial cracks in order to predict the crack propagation. The annual number of cracks detected on the road and equivalent single axle loads (ESALs) per annum was seen as variables to calculate the initial cracks distribution. This aims to predict the crack growth tendency of asphalt pavement before and after maintenance. It was found that exponential function can be used to characterize the relationship between the number and the length of initial cracks. The results of the model correspond with the downward trend of pavement performance. The model is suitable for predicting the service life of pavements of different service time. Especially those were used over 10 years and data of initial pavement condition were difficult to find. After calibration and validation, a comprehensive model considering local materials, traffic information and environmental conditions were established to predict pavement performance after maintenance and propose preventative maintenance schemes for pavement.