Comparación del índice de agrietamiento en mezclas de diferentes plantas asfálticas.

Abstract

Cracking is the main deterioration of asphalt mixtures in Ecuador and should be taken into account in quality controls, since there are currently no established test or requirements in this regard. The objective of this work is to evaluate the fracture resistance of different asphalt mixtures from plants located in the city of Guayaquil or its surroundings, by means of the IDEAL test on specimens aged in the short, medium and long term, in order to establish comparisons and evaluate their possible behaviors. For the aging process, the criteria of the AASHTO R30 standard were generally considered. A total of 3 plants using different aggregates from basaltic rocks, limestone and shale were selected, making 9 briquettes of 150 mm diameter from the mixtures of each plant, with approximately 7% voids. Then the oven aging process is applied, the IDEAL test is performed at 25 °C and the CT index is determined. In the three types of mixes, as the aging time increases, the CT index values decrease, so the cracking resistance is lower in older mixes. The mixes with aggregates from limestone and basalt showed better cracking resistance after aging than the mix with slate. However, when comparing with other international results, it can be concluded that all our values were low. This situation may be a consequence of the quality of the asphalt produced in Esmeraldas.