Developing Master Curves of Dynamic Modulus and Phase Angle of Asphalt Mortar and Asphalt Mixture Using the Least Number of Test Temperature and Frequency

Asphalt mortar and asphalt mixture are viscoelastic materials due to the presence of bitumen in their structures. The master curves of dynamic modulus and phase angle developed through the horizontal shifting of the results using the appropriate shift factors are commonly used to describe the viscoelastic properties of asphalt mortar and asphalt mixture. In this study, constructing master curves of dynamic modulus and phase angle of asphalt mortar and asphalt mixture using the least number of test temperatures and frequencies was investigated. The dynamic modulus test was performed on asphalt concrete and asphalt mortar samples at six temperatures and frequencies. Then, the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussees method was used to determine the shift factors for constructing master curves. Also, the modified Christensen-Anderson-Marasteanu model was fitted on the master curves to predict their viscoelastic properties at an arbitrary temperature and frequency. In addition, the master curves and the fitted models which are created by using test results at two frequencies and six temperatures, six frequencies and three temperatures, or three frequencies and three temperatures, could provide the same predicted values and patterns as the original fitted model with more than 92% accuracy. So, as a result, it is possible to develop the master curves of the viscoelastic properties of asphalt mixture and asphalt mortar with a lower number of test results that have similar accuracy to the original master curves and reduce the time and cost of experiments up to 50%.