Abstract:This article aims to investigate the low-temperature crack resistance performance of asphalt mixtures under different aging conditions and loading rates and select appropriate indicators to accurately characterize and quantify their performance. Based on the semi-circular bending test, the influence of different aging degrees (unaged, short-term aged, long-term aged for three days, and long-term aged for five days) and loading rates (50 mm/min, 5 mm/min, 0.5 mm/min, and 0.1 mm/min) on the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures was investigated. The evaluation effect and applicable range of five crack resistance performance indicators, namely fracture energy (Gf), stress intensity factor (KIC), flexibility index (IFI), crack resistance index (ICRI), and balanced cracking index (IBCI), were studied through variance analysis and variability analysis. The results indicate that aging significantly decreases the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. After short-term aging, Gf decreases by approximately 26%, and as the degree of aging deepens, it continues to decrease at an attenuation rate of about 3%. As the loading rate increases, the evaluation effectiveness of IFI and IBCI deteriorates. Conducting the semi-circular bending test at a loading rate of 0.1 mm/min provides a more comprehensive evaluation of the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. The results of variance analysis and variability analysis indicate that Gf and ICRI can significantly characterize the influence of aging and loading rate on the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. The variability of IFI and IBCI is significantly higher than that of the other three indicators. Hence, it is recommended to adopt Gf and ICRI from the semi-circular bending test as more reasonable indicators for evaluating the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures.