Van Der Waals Force and Asphalt Concrete Strength and Cracking

Van der Waals force between neutral molecules is employed to characterize the interaction among molecules in asphalt cement. Several important consequences emerge from the consideration. The brittle strength of the asphalt binder is shown to be linked to the well depth of the Van der Waals potential and the mesoscopic cracks present within the asphalt binder. Moreover, the elastic modulus of asphalt binder is analytically related to the potential well depth. The strength of the asphalt concrete (AC) is estimated by considering aggregate surface characteristics and the adhesion strength between asphaltenes or resins and molecules of aggregates. These predictions can help design asphalt concrete pavement. Formulas for predicting the binder strength and the interfacial breaking strength between aggregates and binders are derived. These results are supported by reported data. Furthermore, an analytic expression for the strength of AC is given at temperature below the AC glass transition point.