Effect of Polymer’s Type and Content on Tensile Strength of Polymers Modified Asphalt Mixes

Abstract

There has been a considerable rise in road traffic in the past twenty years due to the fast-pace development of the country. In addition, the inadequate and less frequent maintenance exacerbated the deterioration of road structure. This increase in traffic volume combined with the harsh climatic environment of Iraq causes early signs of distress such as low-temperature cracking, rutting, and fatigue cracking. Polymers obtained from the local sources or recycled additive from other sources have been used in pavements to improve their performance as well as to make them more sustainable. This paper presents a laboratory evaluations that were used to determine mechanical characteristics and performance of asphalt mixtures with different types of additives such as (Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Natural Rubber (NR)) and various content. The modified asphalt mixtures were prepared with asphalt binder previously modified by using four percentages of polymer (2, 4, 6, and 8%) from the weight of asphalt binder. Many tests were conducted to evaluate mixtures performance such as (the volumetric properties, mechanical characteristics, indirect tensile strength (ITS) test, and double punching shear (DPS)). The results indicated that the PVC polymer and natural rubber improved the performance of the mixtures compared to the control mixture.