Anti-rutting performance evaluation of modified asphalt binders: A review

Abstract

Asphalt pavement inevitably suffers rutting distress induced by repeated loads under high temperatures, which can be effectively alleviated by the modification of asphalt binders. This paper summarized the asphalt modifiers for enhancing the performance of asphalt pavement at high temperatures in terms of the modifier type, additive amount and improving effect. Then, the anti-rutting performance evaluation methods of asphalt binder were introduced with details, including the ring and ball (R&B) test, the dynamic viscosity test, the zero/low shear viscosity (ZSV/LSV) test, the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) test, the repeated creep and recovery (RCR) test, and the multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR) test. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the evaluation method to asphalt modifier was analyzed using the normalization method. It was found that the indicators from the MSCR test could clearly reveal the influence of asphalt modifiers on high temperature performance of asphalt binder. But it still had some limitations affecting the accuracy of evaluation results, such as the number of creep‐recovery cycles, the stress level and the recovery time. In addition, according to the rutting resistance improvement ratio (RRIR), the styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modifier performed better in improving the rutting resistance of asphalt binder, compared with other modifiers when added within the usual dosage range. • The development history of anti-rutting performance evaluation methods of asphalt binder was systematically analyzed. • The sensitivity of the evaluation method to asphalt modifier was investigated using the normalization method. • The MSCR test could clearly reveal the influence of asphalt modifiers on rutting resistance of asphalt binder. • The SBS modifier performed excellently in improving the rutting resistance of asphalt binder.