Abstract
Previous studies have showed that rock asphalt (RA) or diatomite were used to modify the petroleum bitumen. This paper presents the findings from a study conducted to evaluate the potential impact of RA and diatomite on the rheological characteristics of bitumen composites. RA and diatomite with three different dosages were added into the petroleum bitumen: 18% RA, 13% RA+7% diatomite, and 16% RA+9% diatomite by weight. The rheological characteristics of the RA and diatomite modified bitumens were evaluated in this study. The tests conducted included temperature sweep and frequency sweep tests with a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), a Brookfield rotation viscosity test, and a scanning electron microscope test. The research showed that the addition of RA and diatomite to petroleum bitumen considerably increased the apparent viscosity, dynamic shear modulus, and rutting resistance in bitumen specimens. However, the DSR test indicated a slight reduction in the fatigue performance of composites made of RA and diatomite modified bitumens. Overall, RA and diatomite are good modifiers for petroleum bitumen for a performance improvement.
Highlights
The types of asphalt pavement damage mainly include ruts, pits, cracks, potholes, and surface shedding [1]
The results showed that the reduced dissipated energy ratio was a good evaluation index and that the fatigue performance of rock asphalt-modified bitumen depended on the loading mode of the test
The results showed that the high temperature performance of the rod-shaped diatomite bitumen mortar was better than that of the spherical diatomite
Summary
The types of asphalt pavement damage mainly include ruts, pits, cracks, potholes, and surface shedding [1]. After several years of service, some asphalt pavements are faced with early damage. The use of high-quality bitumen materials can solve or alleviate the early problems of highway pavement [2,3,4]. Modified asphalt has been widely used in asphalt pavements in the past ten years. SBS-modified (Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Block Copolymer) asphalt is the most widely used, but the production equipment of SBS-modified asphalt is very expensive and the production and transportation costs are high [5]. It is urgent to find some modified asphalt with excellent road performance, simple construction, and low costs. Rock asphalt and diatomite are good choices among many asphalt modifiers [6,7]
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