Study on low temperature crack resistance of warm-mixed recycled SBS modified asphalt mixtures

Abstract

In view of the cold winter in northern China and the large temperature difference between day and night, the asphalt pavement has been in low temperature service for a long time, in addition to experiencing the aging effect of water and salt erosion, jointly leading to a particularly serious pavement cracking phenomenon. Therefore, a quantity of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is produced for the repair and renovation of old roads. Faced with the problems of inadequate reuse rate of RAP and high energy consumption of thermal regeneration, it is of great practical significance to explore the technology of warm mix regeneration. In order to study the adaptability of recycled SBS modified asphalt mixtures to low temperature after complex environmental erosion (long-term aging, water freeze-thaw cycle, and salt freeze-thaw cycle), two mixing methods, including hot mixing and warm mixing, were selected, and a Semi-Circular Bending Test was performed. SCB and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques were used to evaluate the low temperature properties of recycled asphalt mixtures by fracture toughness, fracture energy and horizontal strain density damage. Combined with an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) test, the microscopic analysis of recycled asphalt was carried out to verify the mechanism of low temperature cracking. The results showed that the low temperature cracking resistance of the reclaimed asphalt mixtures with warm mix was slightly worse than that with hot mix. The overall low temperature cracking resistance of the reclaimed SBS modified asphalt mixtures decreased with the increase in RAP content. The low temperature performance of the warm-mixed reclaimed asphalt mixtures deteriorated greatly when the RAP content was 80 %. The influencing factors of environmental conditions on the low temperature cracking resistance of the warm-mixed recycled SBS modified asphalt mixtures were listed as below: long-term aging > salt freeze-thaw cycle > water freeze-thaw cycle. The influence of salt on the stress field of crack tip and the microstructure of recycled asphalt after freeze-thaw was greater than that of water erosion. The changes of the microscopic adhesion were in good agreement with the macroscopic test results, which could be employed as the index evaluating the low temperature crack resistance of the warm-mixed SBS modified asphalt mixtures. The addition of warm mixing agent would play a positive role in the low temperature crack resistance of recycled asphalt mixtures with a RAP content of less than 60 % to a certain extent, so warm-mixed recycled asphalt mixtures were more suitable for the application in northern areas.