Increasing Precision and Confidence Level in Fracture Energy Measurement by Optimizing the Number of Test Replicates for Disk-Shaped Compact Tension Fracture Test (ASTM D7313)

Different fracture-based tests and parameters have been developed in recent years to assess thermal cracking performance of asphalt mixtures. Agencies have adopted some of these tests, established threshold values, and incorporated them into their specifications to evaluate mixes during design and production. Because of the heterogeneous nature of asphalt mixtures, there can be a substantial amount of variability associated with mechanical test...