Abstract

Cracking of asphalt mixtures is a main distress in flexible pavements. The addition of encapsulated rejuvenators during the fabrication of these mixtures is a novel self-healing technique that could extend the service life of the material. This self-healing mechanism consists in the autonomous sealing of cracks due to the release of healing agents contained in biopolymer capsules. However, the reliable use of these mixtures requires the understanding of the impact of the added capsules on the mechanical properties of the material, especially during the initial phase of the service life of the structure. This paper presents the characterization of the linear viscoelastic properties of short-term aged asphalt mortars with and without polynuclear capsules containing sunflower oil using the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) technique. The results show that at most temperatures and loading frequencies there are no statistically significant differences in the viscoelastic properties of the mortars with and without capsules, suggesting that the viscoelastic mechanical properties during the initial phase of the service life of these self-healing mixtures are not compromised.