A review of the application of fracture mechanics in investigating the behavior of flexible and rigid pavements

Pavements that are directly exposed to environmental and traffic conditions are thus exposed to many factors that cause erosion and deterioration. As the road passes through different areas along the route, these destructive factors also change. Factors such as soil, traffic conditions, rain, frost and etc. damage the coating and thus shorten its service life. One of the appropriate ways to study the influence of the aforementioned factors on the crack propagation process in rigid and flexible pavements is the science of fracture mechanics. Fracture mechanics is the science that studies cracked components, including laboratory samples of pavements, and uses its parameters, including toughness and fracture energy, to study the behavior of asphalt and concrete pavements against crack growth and propagation. The aim of this paper is to review studies in different crack growth environments, focusing on new samples, including SCB and ENDB specimens. A review of these studies will help improve future research on pavement damage mechanics. Considering the increasing growth of concrete pavements, especially roller compacted concrete pavements (RCCP), it is recommended that further research be conducted on the crack growth behavior of these pavements. The use of ENDB specimens in dealing with the failure mechanics of different load status has also been recommended in various studies related to pavements due to the ease of performing the tests.