Theoretical Description of the Self-Healing Process in Asphalt Concrete

The article presents a theoretical description of the self-healing process that is realized in building materials. A mathematical model of the change in the structurally sensitive parameter (strength, resistance coefficient) of the material under the influence of the operating environment, which occurs as a result of two processes, is proposed in the form of kst (t) = C10exp (A1t) + C20exp (A2t) + 1, where the first term characterizes the features of the recovery process, and the second – the features of the destructive processes. The mandatory condition is: C10 + C20 = 0. The parameters Ci (t) = Ci(0) + kit are a function of time, establishing the change in the degree of contribution of each component, which in the initial period of time are equal to 0 in total, and the coefficients ki indicate the intensity of the attenuation of the process and the change in the contribution of the coefficients Ciover time. Using experimental data, the applicability of the proposed model for self-healing asphalt concretes is proven. The use of an encapsulated modifier allows for an increase in the growth of the resistance coefficient due to self-healing by 49–63%. At the same time, the rate of self-healing does not change significantly, and the rate of destruction after self-healing using encapsulated AR polymer is 2.7 times. The obtained results prove that the use of encapsulated AR polymer is an effective way to implement self-healing technology in asphalt concrete.