Evaluation on Mix Design and Rutting Resistance of Dry Mixed Rubberised Asphalt Mixtures

Abstract

This study presents a laboratory evaluation on the properties of crumb rubber modified asphalt mixture using a dry process method in which the fine crumb rubber is added to substitute the aggregates portion and acts as elastic aggregates within the mix. The effect of crumb rubber in the mixture was investigated in terms of the volumetric properties using Marshall Mix Design and rutting performance using Wheel Tracking Test. The crumb rubber was added between 1 to 3% in steps of 1% by weight of aggregates to modify a dense graded mix, Asphaltic Concrete (AC14) and a gap graded mix, Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA14) according to the Malaysian mix design. Based on the result, it was observed that the performance of the asphalt mixtures was significantly affected with the addition of crumb rubber. Rubberised asphalt mixtures for AC14 were found to have a greater resistance on rutting deformation compared to the conventional mixture. However, the use of fine rubber in SMA14 mixture with 80/100 bitumen cannot provide enough binder modification to perform as good as conventional SMA14 mixture with polymer modified bitumen. Furthermore, based on detailed review, a set of procedures for producing dry mixed rubberised asphalt mixture was identified and recommended for future studies.