Influence of combined aging on the mechanical and physical properties of reclaimed asphalt pavement mixtures blended with rejuvenator agents

Abstract

Recently, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) with high RAP contents with rejuvenator agents have been implemented in Japan. However, a unified view of the durability of RAP mixtures with rejuvenators has not been established. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the durability of RAP mixtures blended with different types of rejuvenators through combined aging, compared with that of hot mixed asphalt (HMA) mixture. Mechanical and physical properties of RAP mixtures with rejuvenators subjected to a combination of moisture, heat, and oxidation were investigated. Saturation aging tensile stiffness conditioning was used to simulate the combined aging. Four types of RAP mixtures were prepared by employing two types of oil-based rejuvenators with two RAP contents. HMA mixtures were also prepared. The test results demonstrated that the RAP mixtures did not exhibit a reduction in the retained stiffness, whereas the HMA mixtures exhibited a significant drop in stiffness with conditioning. In addition, the RAP mixtures exhibited a longer residual service life than the HMA mixtures after conditioning. Detailed analyses revealed differences in the stiffness and fatigue behaviors of the RAP mixtures with different types of rejuvenators. Finally, certain aspects of the deterioration mechanisms of RAP mixtures with rejuvenators were discussed.