PowerPoint Presentation - Asphalt Binder Cracking Device (ABCD)
Slide 1
Project Team: EZ Asphalt Technology, LLC, PRI Asphalt Technologies
Award: $239,386
Slide 2 – What Is It?
- ABCD is a test fixture that induces thermal stresses in asphalt binder up to the point of fracture
- Unlike the current standard test, the ABCD test simulates cracking in the field
Slide 3 – Need
- Low temperature thermal cracking (contraction of the pavement) is a major type of asphalt pavement failure
- Nationally, tens of billion dollars are spent to fix cracked pavements every year
Anticipated Advantages:
- A more practical and meaningful laboratory test than the current industry standard specification
- Simpler procedure developed
- Less equipment needed
- Closer approximation to field conditions
- Very promising and supported with data from exploration under the NCHRP IDEA program
Slide 4 – How Does the Test Work?
Slide 5 – Cracked specimens collected from the ABCD test
Slide 6 – Planned Refinements
VS.
- Simplifications to both the software and the hardware
- Replaces the need for a large temperature cooling chamber
- Lightweight
- Operator friendly
- Smaller in size
- Little to no moving parts
- Automatic data processing and analysis after test completed