Tensile test and discrete element study on recycled aggregate hydraulic asphalt concrete

The study takes into account the working temperature of the asphalt hydraulic asphalt concrete of the impermeable body as well as possible structural tensile cracking problems. The test temperature range is selected with the working temperature of hydraulic asphalt concrete impermeable body as a reference, while taking into account the strain rate effect of the ground concrete material. Therefore, in the tensile property test of recycled aggregate hydraulic asphalt concrete, the temperature is −10–10℃, and the strain rate is 10−51/s ∼ 10−21/s. The results indicated that the decrease of temperature and the increase of strain rate could both cause the same pattern, inducing an increase in tensile strength and tensile modulus of the specimens but a decrease in peak strain. The phenomenon of cross-sectional failure was similar and visible, which were a large proportion of aggregate fracture. To refine the results of this test,on the basis of the test, the evolution law of the fine mechanical parameters of the recycled aggregate hydraulic asphalt concrete model under specific working conditions were analyzed by PFC3D. The influence laws of different temperatures and strain rates on the damage morphology, fracture evolution, and particle displacement development of the recycled aggregate hydraulic asphalt concrete model were obtained. The tensile damage mechanism of recycled aggregate hydraulic asphalt concrete is revealed from the fine viewpoint. In which the numerical analysis results are in good agreement with the test results. It is properties still meet the specification design requirements, and can be used in engineering construction. •The tensile properties of recycled aggregate hydraulic asphalt concrete at different temperatures and strain rates.•Evolution law of tensile mechanical properties of recycled aggregate hydraulic asphalt concrete was revealed.•Failure mechanism of recycled aggregate hydraulic asphalt concrete was revealed from the mesoscopic perspective by using PFC3D.