Damage and healing test protocols for the evaluation of bituminous binders

Based on the analysis of the behaviour of a wide range of bituminous binders employed for paving applications, the Authors have developed in the past specific test protocols for the assessment of damage and healing properties. In the case of damage behaviour, reference is made to a parameter, called Relative Crack Propagation Amplitude (RCPA), which is based on dissipated energy data. Healing properties are evaluated by referring to the Relative Healing Index (RHI), which depends upon loading frequency and duration of rest periods. In order to illustrate the significance of such parameters and related test protocols, in this paper the Authors provide results which show the effects of several factors on fatigue and healing response such as binder type, ageing, and polymer modification.