Laboratory Evaluation of Asphalt Mixture Performance Using Composite Admixtures of Lignin and Glass Fibers

Ahmed Khater,Dong Luo,Moustafa Abdelsalam,Yueqin Hou,Yanchao Yue,Mohamed Ghazy

doi:10.3390/app11010364

Abstract

Moisture damage and low-temperature cracking are common distresses experienced by road pavement. Different types of modifiers, such as fibers, can be used to improve the quality of asphalt pavements. In this paper, lignin and glass fiber were selected as additives to enhance the water- and low-temperature stability of the asphalt mixtures. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the composite effects of adding lignin fiber and glass fiber to a bituminous mix using experimental methods. The Marshall immersion, freeze–thaw splitting, and three-point bending tests were applied to evaluate the efficiency of lignin fiber (and/or) glass fiber modified asphalt mixes with regard to moisture damage and low temperature. Four kinds of asphalt mixtures, namely, the control asphalt mix (C), lignin fiber modified asphalt mix (L), glass fiber modified asphalt mix (G), and a composite of lignin fiber and glass fiber modified asphalt mix (LG) were evaluated. The experimental results showed that with the addition of 0.30% lignin fiber and 0.30% glass fiber the water stability, low-temperature stability, and quality of bituminous mix were improved significantly. With lignin fiber, the asphalt mixtures showed better resistance to thermal cracking, while glass fiber resulted in greater moisture susceptibility. The composite admixture was more effective than either lignin or glass fiber in modifying the asphalt performance. This clarifies the great beneficial effect of using the composite mixture in the asphalt mixtures industry.

Highlights

Asphalt pavement is a kind of composite material that comprises aggregate, air voids, filler, and asphalt mastic
The asphalt mixture modified with lignin showed the highest optimum bitumen content, followed by the composite asphalt mixture, the glass fiber modified asphalt mixture, and the control asphalt mixture, respectively
The bituminous mix modified by a composite admixture was more effective than the bituminous mix that was only modified with glass fiber or lignin fiber

Summary

Introduction

Asphalt pavement is a kind of composite material that comprises aggregate, air voids, filler, and asphalt mastic. Asphalt tends to be soft in hot weather and brittle during cold conditions. It is the most common paving type for highways and airport pavements worldwide due to its service performance [1,2,3]. Asphalt pavement possesses characteristics such as flexibility, skid resistance, stability, and durability under climate changes, as well as high resistance to moisture damage, low noise, and a good ability to adapt to deformation of the subgrade. It can be reused and maintained [4]. High traffic volume and loading intensity, construction errors, and environmental conditions as well as thermal cracking have a negative impact on maintenance costs, service life, and pavement performance, leading to undesirable defects such as freeze–thaw cycles and thermal cracking at low temperatures [5,6]

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Results

Conclusion