Investigating the effect of temperature on self-healing properties of neat and polymer-modified bituminous binders

It is widely recognised that temperature can strongly impact the self-healing potential of bituminous binders. In order to address this issue, an investigation was carried out on neat and polymer-modified binders by means of oscillatory loading tests. These were composed of two-time sweep tests conducted at the same temperature and an interposed rest period whose temperature was set at different values. The response of the considered materials was quantitatively assessed by means of two self-healing indices that refer to stiffness and fatigue endurance gain. Additional analyses were performed by focusing on the rheological properties exhibited by the binders in full healing conditions and by evaluating the effect of self-healing on total fatigue life. The experimental outcomes highlighted the relevance of rest period temperature, which needs to be taken into account to correctly rank bituminous binders in terms of both self-healing potential and overall fatigue resistance.