Evaluation of Joint and Crack Sealants Based on Cyclic Loading and Rheological Properties

Sealing pavement joints and cracks is one of the essential pavement maintenance practices to protect subsurface layers from the ingress of moisture and debris. The expected life of a sealant is affected by several factors. In-service temperature range can be considered the most important factor. Using inappropriate crack sealant reduces its expected life which leads to reducing pavement design life. Development of a reliable characterization method for crack sealants has been a challenging process in the last decade. Currently, field studies are the most reliable method to evaluate sealants performance in cold climates which is not a cost-effective method. This research discusses two laboratory tests that were used for characterizing the performance of hot-pour sealants in cold climates. A cyclic tension and compression test -30o C was used for testing the cohesion strength of sealants and the adhesion strength between sealants and pavement. Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) test was used for characterizing the rheological properties of sealant at temperature range of +5o C to +64o C. The results of a two years field study were used to verify the reliability of these methods. These laboratory methods can replace costly and time-consuming field studies, and provide the ability to test and evaluate the performance of new sealing materials as they become available in market.