Investigation of the relationship between SEM test results and TSR parameter for measuring the moisture sensitivity index of asphalt mixtures containing anti-stripping agents

Due to the fact that stripping is one of the main failures of asphalt mixtures, special methods and tests have been proposed to evaluate this phenomenon by various regulations. These include AASHTO T283 and boiling water test. Among the methods mentioned, the results of AASHTO T283 are more accurate in investigating moisture sensitivity due to the numerical results, but qualitative tests such as boiling water can also be useful due to the ease of testing as well as visual acuity. Accordingly, in this study, the stripping of asphalt mixtures containing nano-stripping anti-stripping materials such as Zycotherm, Ivanic and nano-lime has been investigated. SEM images were also taken from these samples and converted to numbers using MATLAB software to examine the relationship between the results of AASHTO T283 and visual methods more carefully. In addition to stripping experiments, Marshall Resistance tests, modulus of resistance, and dynamic creep have also been used to investigate the properties of the mixtures. The results of this study show that the use of qualitative analysis such as the use of SEM images can determine the overall result of the stripping of asphalt mixtures.