UGR-FACT test for the study of fatigue cracking in bituminous mixes

Fatigue cracking in bituminous mixes is one of the most common pathologies that affect roads all over the world. The improvement of the laboratory test methods used in their design is crucial to prolong the service life of pavements. This article describes a test method that simulates the stresses caused by fatigue cracking in pavements. The UGR-FACT Test, based on a device that produces controlled fatigue cracking process, makes possible to analyze the cracking propagation in the different phases (initiation, progression, and failure). The study of the material is performed in a representative volume, controlling horizontal and vertical deformations produced in the immediate proximity of the crack, after the application of each loading cycle. The energy dissipated by the material is analyzed to avoid the problems associated with the three-dimensional dispersion and randomness of fatigue cracking.