Cracking is one of the main failure mechanisms in asphalt pavements, leading to reduced service life and increased maintenance costs. The objective of this research is to comprehensively evaluate the fracture behavior of basalt fiber-reinforced asphalt mixtures using the Semi-Circular Bending (SCB) test. The main innovation of this study lies in the simultaneous analysis of fracture mechanics parameters in different modes and the determination of the optimal range of basalt fiber content to improve fracture behavior. Asphalt samples with different percentages of basalt fibers (0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5% by weight) were prepared, and key fracture parameters including critical load (Pcr), fracture energy (Gf), fracture toughness (KIC), and Crack Resistance Index (CRI) were analyzed at low temperatures (-10 and 0°C) and intermediate temperature (10°C). The results showed that basalt fibers, by creating a reinforcing network in the mixture, prolong the crack propagation path and increase energy absorption capacity. At low temperatures, the most positive effect of fibers was observed in tensile mode (Mode I), while shear mode (Mode II) showed less sensitivity to increasing fiber content. Fracture energy and fracture toughness increased with increasing fiber content up to an optimal range (0.3-0.4%) and stabilized or slightly decreased beyond that. The CRI index at 10°C reflected the combined effect of critical load and fracture energy and showed a significant improvement with increasing fiber content. The results of analyzing different fracture modes indicated that basalt fibers play an effective role in reducing stress concentration and increasing the structural stability of asphalt mixtures.
Motie, A. , sajed, Y. and Saleh Ahari, R. (2026). Evaluation of the Fracture Performance of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures Based on the Semi-Circular Bending Test. Journal of Transportation Infrastructure Engineering, (), -. doi: 10.22075/jtie.2026.40599.1754
MLA
Motie, A. , , sajed, Y. , and Saleh Ahari, R. . "Evaluation of the Fracture Performance of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures Based on the Semi-Circular Bending Test", Journal of Transportation Infrastructure Engineering, , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22075/jtie.2026.40599.1754
HARVARD
Motie, A., sajed, Y., Saleh Ahari, R. (2026). 'Evaluation of the Fracture Performance of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures Based on the Semi-Circular Bending Test', Journal of Transportation Infrastructure Engineering, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22075/jtie.2026.40599.1754
CHICAGO
A. Motie , Y. sajed and R. Saleh Ahari, "Evaluation of the Fracture Performance of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures Based on the Semi-Circular Bending Test," Journal of Transportation Infrastructure Engineering, (2026): -, doi: 10.22075/jtie.2026.40599.1754
VANCOUVER
Motie, A., sajed, Y., Saleh Ahari, R. Evaluation of the Fracture Performance of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Asphalt Mixtures Based on the Semi-Circular Bending Test. Journal of Transportation Infrastructure Engineering, 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22075/jtie.2026.40599.1754
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