Micromechanical finite element modeling of moisture damage in bituminous composite materials

This study numerically investigates the effect of moisture presence on the microscale and macroscale responses of bituminous composite materials such as Asphalt Concrete (AC). A micromechanical modeling framework based on the Finite Element (FE) method was developed. The microstructure of the material was characterized using the non-destructive X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) technique. Images obtained from X-ray CT scans were used to generate FE-based micromechanical models. A computationally efficient hydro-micromechanical framework that bridges the microscale features of AC materials to the corresponding macroscale linear viscoelastic properties was presented. The micromechanical model provides a micromechanical based approach for quantifying the contribution of cohesive and adhesive damage to the overall material response of particulate composite in the presence of moisture.