Fatigue cracking is one of the major modes of premature distresses in asphalt pavements. Cracks of asphalt pavements start as microcracks and later propagate, densify, and coalesce due to repeated traffic loading or low temperature thermal stresses or combinations of both to form macrocracks, and result in structural distresses of asphalt pavements. Research on initiation mechanism and propagation behavior of cracks in asphalt pavements is necessary for a sound evaluation of mechanistic behavior of pavement...