###### Abstract  
Water, frost, and road salt are counted as environmental factors. They affect the pavement structure, particularly during the winter or in regions located above sea level. In the article, a literature review related to water, frost, and road salt impacts was performed. The main problem of evaluating asphalt mixture degradation and its influence on pavement fatigue life via environmental factors was stated. Four types of asphalt concrete (AC22) road mixes were prepared for laboratory tests. They differed in production technology and the type of binder applied. One binder content level was tested. To investigate the impact of water, frost, and road salt on mineral-asphalt mixtures utilized in flexible constructions, two proprietary experimental methods were applied. Methods allowed for determining the mixtures' degradation level using the measured stiffness modulus in the 4-PB-PR test. Based on the obtained results, it was found that both interactions cause a significant decrease in the value of the stiffness modulus. In the article, a degradation ratio was proposed. The ratio expressed the impact of water, frost, and road salt on the stiffness mix variability. Its value was considered for pavement fatigue life based on the AASHTO 2004 fatigue criterion. The article demonstrates that the type of binder used influences the mix's resistance to water, frost, or road salt impact. The highest resistance was reached by a mixture with highly modified asphalt (hot technology), and the worst was with asphalt WMA (warm technology). It has also been proven that the impact of water, frost, or road salt on pavement fatigue life is significant. The drop was significant, amounting to a few dozen percent. It was stated that environmental impacts (such as water, frost, or road salt) should be considered in asphalt mixture and pavement construction design. eurmental factors; road salt; water and frost; degradation; mineral asphalt mix; pavement fatigue life; stiffness modulus +
Footnote †: journal: Applied sciences  
The additive prevents the formation of salt lumps due to improper storage conditions or excessive exposure to moisture. Road salt for winter road maintenance is mostly used in three different forms: dry material, its solution (brine), or its mixture (wet salt). Dry salt is directly sprinkled on the pavement surface at [g/m\({}^{2}\)]. The brine solution should have a strictly defined concentration. Considering the interior regulations of different countries, its value could vary between 20 and 25%. The wet salt for sprinkling should contain 30% brine with a concentration of 20-25% and 70% dry salt. The amount of the agents used, the form, and the concentration of the solution are determined depending on the recorded issue (frost, black ice, or permafrost) and the prevailing temperature [7; 8; 9; 10]. The increased salt usage is causing the rapid and effective melting of ice and snow at temperatures even below 10 \({}^{\circ}\)C [6; 7; 10]. However, while applying salt for winter maintenance is effective, it should be remembered that maintenance procedures require cyclical repetition depending on the prevailing conditions. This fact, in turn, results in the accumulation of the applied chemicals in the road lane. Pavement structure deterioration is a complex problem. In addition to mechanical factors (loads from the vehicle wheels), environmental impacts are also significant: water, frost, and road salt, which could degrade the utilized material. The change from the liquid state of water to a solid could cause the formation of various types of damage, such as cracks. Road salts could cause the same issues. Although road salt improves traffic safety conditions, it may affect the strength properties of the pavement. It may have an impact on the surface course as well as deeper layers. The impact of road salt on the pavement may be different.