Abstract
Freeze-thaw (FT) cycles and moisture susceptibility are important factors influencing the geotechnical characteristics of soil-aggregates. Given the lack of published information on the behavior of cement-bitumen emulsion-treated base (CBETB) under environmental conditions, especially freezing and thawing, this study investigated the effects of these additives on the CBETB performance. The primary goal was to evaluate the resistance of CBETB to moisture damage by performing FT, Marshall conditioning, and AASHTO T-283 tests and to evaluate the long-term stripping susceptibility of CBETB while also predicting the liquid antistripping additives to assess the mixture’s durability and workability. Specimens were stabilized with Portland cement (0%–6%), bitumen emulsion (0%–5%), and Portland cement-bitumen emulsion mixtures and cured for 7 days, and their short- and long-term performances were studied. Evaluation results of both the Marshall stability ratio and the tensile strength ratio show that the additions of additives increase the resistance of the mixtures to moisture damage. Results of durability tests performed for determining the resistance of compacted specimens to repeated FT cycles indicate that the specimen with the 4% cement-3% bitumen emulsion mixture significantly improves water absorption, volume changes, and weight losses. This indicates the effectiveness of this additive as a road base stabilizer with excellent engineering properties for cold regions.
Highlights
One of the important factors for maximizing pavement service life and minimizing pavement maintenance cost is the selection of a base with sufficient material resistance to damage under traffic loads and environmental conditions
It is clearly seen that the highest retained stability (MSR) and tensile strength ratio (TSR) values (1.09 and 1.16, resp.) were observed for the specimen with the 4% cement-3% bitumen emulsion mixture. This result could be attributed to the significant role of bitumen emulsion in improving the adhesion of cement-bitumen emulsion-treated base (CBETB) when mixed with cement, which in turn increases the resistance of CBETB to moisture damage and improves its stability
The findings of this study indicate that application of the cement-bitumen emulsion mixture to road bases is an effective treatment for significantly improving its moisture damage performance, Weight loss (%)
Summary
One of the important factors for maximizing pavement service life and minimizing pavement maintenance cost is the selection of a base with sufficient material resistance to damage under traffic loads and environmental conditions. The geotechnical characteristics of soil-aggregates are considerably affected by different environmental conditions, especially freezing and thawing. Many studies have shown that freeze-thaw (FT) cycles decrease the soil-aggregate stability significantly [1,2,3,4,5]. It is necessary to investigate the FT conditions from the viewpoint of the geotechnical application of soils in cold regions. Pavement engineers face the challenging task of establishing efficient methods/techniques for the modification of highway pavement materials under FT conditions. Soil-aggregate stabilization is considered one of these techniques aimed at improving the short-term and long-term performances and durability of the pavement structure.
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