Cold pelletized asphalt concrete mixture from reclaimed asphalt

Abstract

The authors of the article propose a technology for the sustainable reuse of old asphalt concrete granulate, the stockpiles of which increases annually by tens of thousands of tons. The article describes an approach that allowing to process the granulate of old asphalt concrete to make cold asphalt mix, equal in terms of strength and water resistance to hot asphalt mixes. Pelletizing old asphalt granulate concrete in a heated state leads to stratification of large agglomerates with the further building of granules from small particles of the material. These processes lead to a change in the initial dispersed composition of the old asphalt granulate, along with the structuration of the material. The resulting material is not subject to caking and can be stored for a few years in a cold state and does not require preheating when laying in the pavement. Its preliminary classification and fractionation are not required for the production of pelletized material based on the old asphalt granulate. After milling it can be immediately used for the preparation of a pelletized asphalt mix, which is crucial in terms of material reuse.