Research on the crack resistance of semi-flexible pavement based on bonding and rheological properties of asphalt

•The monotonic and fatigue crack resistance of SFP were significantly improved.•The correlation between asphalt’s properties and SFP’s crack resistance was analyzed.•The suitable asphalt types for SFP with high crack resistance were recommended. In order to improve the crack resistance of semi-flexible pavement (SFP), this study used five kinds of asphalt binders with different bonding and rheological properties to form SFPs. The monotonic crack resistance and fatigue crack resistance of SFPs were evaluated by low-temperature beam test, semi-circular bending (SCB) monotonic test, and SCB fatigue test. It is observed that compared with the conventional SFP, the monotonic crack resistance of the SFP can be increased by 60% or more, and the fatigue crack resistance can be increased by 350% or more after the design of the bonding and rheological properties of the asphalt binder used in this study. At the same time, the research results show that when SFP is faced with different temperatures, traffic conditions, and self-damage conditions, there are apparent differences in the influence of bonding and rheological properties such as viscosity and bond strength of asphalt binder on SFPs' crack resistance. Based on this, the most suitable asphalt binder type of SFP under different environmental conditions, operation conditions, and technical conditions are obtained in this study. It provides a precise control index and improvement direction for the design of high crack resistance SFP.