The feasibility of using epoxy asphalt to recycle a mixture containing 100% reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP)

Abstract

With the rising cost of pavement materials and increasingly stringent environmental protection and sustainability policies, asphalt recycling technology with high reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content is becoming more essential. This study was designed to explore the feasibility of using epoxy asphalt for the recycling of mixture containing 100% RAP. The performance of the epoxy asphalt recycled mixture and the virgin epoxy asphalt mixture was evaluated and compared. The wheel tracking test and trabecular bending test were carried out to evaluate the high and low-temperature performance. The trabecular fatigue test was adopted to measure fatigue resistance. The indirect tensile test and the semi-circular bending test were carried out to evaluate the moisture susceptibility of the epoxy asphalt recycled mixture. The rutting resistance of epoxy asphalt recycled mixture was found much better than the virgin epoxy asphalt mixture. The low temperature cracking resistance and moisture susceptibility of epoxy asphalt recycled mixture was close to the virgin epoxy asphalt mixture. The influence of epoxy resin components on cracking resistance was more obvious than that of aged asphalt binder. However, the fatigue performance of epoxy asphalt recycled mixture was inferior to the virgin epoxy asphalt mixture. Based on the performance comparison, the epoxy asphalt have the potential to recycle a mixture with 100% RAP content.