A Balanced Mix Design Method for Selecting the Optimum Binder Content of Cold In-Place Recycling Asphalt Mixtures

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present a procedure for designing cold in-place recycling (CIR) mixtures through balancing rutting and cracking for these mixtures. Four CIR mixtures were prepared using two recycling agents (foamed and emulsified asphalts), and compacted at two gyration levels (30 and 70 gyrations). The CIR mixtures were prepared at a constant water content of 3% and a constant cement content of 1% while curing of the compacted samples was conducted by placing them in an oven for three days at 140°F (dry curing). The CoreLok device was used for measuring air voids in compacted samples. The rutting susceptibility of these mixtures was then evaluated using the asphalt pavement analyzer (APA) and dynamic complex modulus (|E*|) while resistance to cracking was assessed using the indirect tensile strength (ITS) test and fracture energy as determined using the semi-circular bend (SCB-FE) test. A demonstration of how these tests were utilized to select a performance balanced optimum binder content for each of the four CIR mixes was also presented. The developed balanced mix design approach was used successfully for designing four CIR mixtures and selecting the optimum binder content for each mix. The results also showed that using a higher compaction level leads to increasing both foamed and emulsified asphalt CIR mixtures’ ability to resist rutting. In terms of cracking, SCB-FE results showed that foamed asphalt mixtures were better at resisting cracking than emulsified asphalt CIR mixtures.