Thermodynamic Framework for the Constitutive Modeling of Asphalt Concrete: Theory and Applications

Abstract

The response of an asphalt concrete pavement to external loading depends on its internal structure. Using a recent framework that associates different natural configurations (for example, stress-free configurations) with distinct internal structures of the body, we model asphalt concrete. We assume asphalt concrete to be a mixture of an aggregate matrix and an asphalt mortar matrix with evolving natural configurations. The evolution of the natural configuration is determined using a thermodynamic criterion, namely, the maximization of the rate of dissipation. Appropriate choices for the Helmholtz potential, the rate of dissipation and the other thermodynamic criteria are assumed to describe how energy is stored, the manner of the rate of dissipation, etc. As an example, we choose a specific form for the Helmholtz potential and the rate of dissipation function that leads to a generalized “upper convected Burgers’s model,” its linearized version being the viscoelastic model that is usually used for modeling...