Asphalt Shingles Research Articles

Impact of Recycled Materials and Recycling Agents on Asphalt Binder Oxidative Aging Predictions

The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of selected recycling agents (RAs) and recycled materials on the development of cracking potential with respect to oxidative aging. Given the complex nature of varying base asphalt binders, recycled materials, whether recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS), or both, and the complexity of their combined interactions with recycling agents, standard evaluation protocols for binder grading and evaluation may be insufficient. The binder blend aging predictions or oxidation modeling evaluation was introduced as a means to evaluate the combined influence of both binder oxidation kinetics and resulting rheological changes on the measured cracking potential of the various binder blends—that is, Glover–Rowe (G-R) parameter—driven by temperature estimation modeling over simulated in-service durations at example geographic locations. This evaluation has demonstrated the importance of adequate characterization of the specific materials being used in conjunction with selection of the correct dose of the appropriate recycling agent to ensure sufficient resistance to cracking and embrittlement of proposed material combinations. The combined influence of all the interested components did not always add up to the sum of the individual parts, nor are the measured interactions consistent with increased levels of oxidation. Therefore, the prevailing conclusion of the study as a whole indicated that material-specific evaluations are needed to identify the complex interactions taking place within the material combinations of interest, but also multiple levels of aging at appropriate intervals may be necessary for comprehensive characterization.

Environmental and Economic Performance of Asphalt Shingle and Clay Tile Roofing Sheets Using Life Cycle Assessment Approach and TOPSIS

AbstractThe construction industry utilizes many materials that go through different manufacturing and transportation processes. Selecting and using environmentally friendly or green building materi...

Performance of asphalt mixtures with high recycled materials content and recycling agents

ABSTRACTRecycled asphalt mixtures with high amounts of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) can be excessively stiff, brittle, and prone to cracking. The use of recycling agents, or rejuvenators, can significantly reduce mixture stiffness and improve performance, specifically cracking resistance. In this study, the performance of recycled and rejuvenated asphalt mixtures from several field projects, located in different environmental zones across the United States, was evaluated considering various recycling agent dosages determined by the contractors. Field core test results and the visual distress surveys of the field projects demonstrated that using the field recycling agent dosages yielded poor mixture performance. Laboratory test results demonstrated that adding the recycling agent at the dosage to match the continuous high-temperature performance grade (PGH) of the rejuvenated binder blend (virgin/base binder, recycled binder, and recycling agent) to that of the target binder PGH specified based on climate and traffic requirements yielded improved mixture performance. The rejuvenated mixtures at this recycling agent dosage showed significant reduction in stiffness and improved cracking resistance, and facilitated the use of higher quantities of recycled materials, regardless of aging level, while maintaining rutting resistance after short-term aging.

A Mechanical Approach to Quantify Blending of Aged Binder from Recycled Materials in New Hot Mix Asphalt Mixtures

In the paving industry, there is increased interest in using recycled materials like recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) and reclaimed asphalt pavements (RAP) due to the valuable asphalt binder contained within them. The major concern with using these materials is that the binder they contain is highly aged, which could lead to reduced mixture durability. Therefore, a method is needed to quantify the extent to which the aged binders from these materials blend with virgin binder when producing mixtures in order to understand better their effects on mixture performance. In this study, a new approach to quantify the amount of blending that occurs between aged RAS and RAP binders and a virgin binder was developed. Asphalt binders were extracted and recovered from RAS and RAP stockpiles and blended with a PG64-28 virgin binder in varying proportions. The master curves of these mixtures were constructed at 20°C. Asphalt mixtures containing different proportions of the same RAS and RAP stockpiles were then designed and the dynamic moduli of the mixtures were measured to construct mixture master curves at 20°C. The binder master curves for each blending proportion were then substituted into a locally calibrated Hirsch model to predict the mixture master curves. Comparison of the measured and predicted mixture master curves suggested that the aged binder from RAS and RAP blends with the virgin binder less than 40% and 60%, respectively. Cracking tests were also conducted to validate the proposed degrees of blending from a mixture mechanical performance point of view.

Impact of Specimen Configuration and Characteristics on Illinois Flexibility Index

The Illinois Department of Transportation adopted the Illinois Flexibility Index Test (I-FIT) to evaluate the cracking vulnerability of asphalt concrete (AC) mixtures that was often shown to increase with the addition of recycled materials such as reclaimed asphalt pavement and recycled asphalt shingles. The test consists of a semi-circular AC sample that has a notch, loaded along the symmetric axis. Fracture energy (FE), post-peak slope, and the flexibility index (FI) are computed from the load displacement curve. These results can be influenced by specimen geometry and test parameters such as loading rate, AC voids content, and so forth. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of notch length, specimen thickness, loading rate, and AC air void content on the I-FIT results. It was found that an increase in the specimen thickness or loading rate resulted in a steeper post-peak slope without affecting the FE. As a result, the FI decreased. An increase in the notch length or AC air void content resulted in a flatter post-peak slope, thus, increasing the FI. From the results, it was concluded that existing correction factors to address the variations caused by specimen thickness and air void content are appropriate. A correction factor to address notch length variations is proposed. A unique correction factor for loading rate could not be developed because of the varying rate dependency of each AC mixture.

Utilizing Network and Project-Level Data to Evaluate Impact of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement and Recycled Asphalt Shingles on Laboratory and Field Performance in Texas

The incorporation of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in asphalt mixes is encouraged as long as the modified mix exhibits equal or improved performance. Through the integration and data mining from several statewide databases, and extensive laboratory and field testing, this paper investigates the performance of asphalt mixes containing RAP, RAS, or both relative to similar mixes with virgin components. The integration of several databases permitted a network-level investigation of performance patterns. The reasonableness of the observed performance patterns was assessed using the results from the Hamburg wheel tracking tests (HWTT) and indirect tensile strength tests performed on specimens from several sites included in a network-level database. Furthermore, the retrieved network-level data were cross-referenced to the results from a historical performance database. At project level, HWTT and the overlay tester tests were performed on samples from several dozen sites to characterize laboratory performance. Field performance of these sites was also documented through periodic cracking and rutting surveys. From the network-level assessment, the impact of RAP, RAS, or both on the performance of the mixes was found to be mix-dependent. The combination of RAP and RAS seems to negatively affect cracking resistance. Further, dense-graded and Superpave mixes with RAP, RAS, or both exhibit higher cracking potential with minimal impact on rutting resistance. The project-level field performance evaluation shows that fatigue cracking propagates at a higher rate for sections with RAP and RAS than for sections with only RAP.

Laboratory Performance of Asphalt Mixtures Containing Re-Refined Engine Oil Bottoms Modified Asphalt Binders

The increasing use of hardened oxidized asphalt binders in recycling materials such as recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) has increased the need to use re-refined engine oil bottoms (REOB) as a recycling agent. However, conflicting conclusions on the effect of REOB on mixture performance have been reported in the literature. The objective of this study was to characterize the laboratory performance of conventional asphalt mixtures and mixtures containing REOB modified asphalt binders. Four 12.5-mm asphalt mixtures, containing 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% REOB modified asphalt binders, were designed to meet Superpave design criteria. A suite of laboratory tests was utilized to ascertain the mechanistic behavior of the mixtures considered. Mechanistic tests were performed to evaluate the high-, intermediate-, and low-temperature properties and moisture susceptibilities of laboratory produced mixtures using the Hamburg Loaded-Wheel Tester (LWT), the Semi-Circular Bending (SCB) test, and the Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen (TSRST), respectively. Results showed that the addition of REOB did not adversely affect the rutting and moisture susceptibility of the mixtures. Similar low-temperature mixture performance was observed with an REOB dosage up to 10%, while a mixture with 15% REOB showed significantly reduced low-temperature cracking performance. A decreasing trend in SCB Jc with an increasing REOB content was observed indicating a negative effect of REOB on intermediate-temperature cracking resistance.

A model to predict creep compliance of asphalt mixtures containing recycled materials

Thermal cracking is one of the major distresses in flexible pavements, especially in the northern part of the U.S. and Canada. With the increasing use of recycled materials like reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingle (RAS), asphalt pavements have become more susceptible to thermal distresses. Therefore, such asphalt concrete (AC) mixtures should be carefully investigated to ensure that performance is not compromised in the pursuit of an economical solution. The Pavement ME Design uses the empirically developed model for the prediction of creep compliance as an input for Level 3 analysis, which uses the mix and binder properties. However, this prediction model cannot be applied for every climatic and mix design conditions; therefore, different researchers came up with modified models for different states within the U.S. The impact of recycled materials was not captured in the MEPDG as well as in the modified models. This research proposes a new model that captures the effect of recycled materials. It was observed that softer binder and higher asphalt content results in more compliant, while recycled materials tend to decrease the compliance. Hence, softer binder and recycled materials tend to counterbalance each other’s impact. From model analysis, it was found that the existing MEPDG model significantly overestimates creep compliance compared with actual measured values. The proposed model can capture the effect of asphalt binder replacement (ABR) and has been validated with randomly selected data and found to exhibit good correlation with lab testing data.

Mechanistic-Empirical Simulations and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis to Determine the Cost and Performance Effectiveness of Asphalt Mixtures Containing Recycled Materials

Use of reclaimed asphalt pavements (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in asphalt paving, although considered as sustainable, is a practice that agencies are reluctant to employ because of the unpredictability of asphalt mixes containing recycled materials. The asphalt binder in RAP/RAS is aged and stiffened, which reduces ductility of the pavement. Consequentially, a pavement can exhibit unsatisfactory fatigue performance and have the potential for early cracking failure. Although methods exist to counteract the brittle behavior of pavements containing RAP/RAS (namely binder-grade bumping, binder-grade dumping and high binder content), they are not accounted for in mechanistic-empirical (ME) pavement design. Additionally, the cost benefits of using RAP/RAS in pavements are not easily calculated. For these reasons, characterization of fatigue performance for asphalt pavements containing RAP/RAS in ME design software needs to be accomplished and a life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) framework for pavements containing RAP/RAS needs to be developed so that agencies can make informed decisions about RAP/RAS use in asphalt mixtures. In this study, laboratory test results for asphalt mixtures with different combinations of RAP/RAS contents, binder contents, and binder types were used to calculate ME pavement model coefficients to perform forward calculations to determine pavement performance. Using predicted performance from ME models, LCCAs were conducted to determine the cost benefits of using binder-grade bumping/dumping and high binder content in Oregon asphalt mixtures. These strategies are expected to increase RAP/RAS use in asphalt mixtures, reduce life-cycle costs, improve the cracking performance and encourage widespread use of RAP/RAS asphalt mixtures.

Effects of Light-Activated Self-Healing Polymers on the Rheological Behaviors of Asphalt Binder Containing Recycled Asphalt Shingles

A new generation of ultraviolet (UV) light-activated, self-healing polymers was evaluated with the aim to enhance the elastic recovery of the binder and to increase its self-healing abilities. This study had three main objectives: (a) to develop an optimized synthesis procedure for producing light-activated self-healing polymers, (b) to examine the thermal stability of the prepared self-healing polymers, and (c) to evaluate the effect of self-healing polymers on the rheological properties of asphalt binder containing binder extracted from recycled asphalt shingles (RAS). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of UV-activated polymers in the laboratory. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis showed that the materials produced achieved the required thermal stability at high temperature. Measuring the viscosity of different binder blends with and without RAS and with and without self-healing polymers revealed that the additive decreased the viscosity of the binder blends containing RAS, thereby providing blends with a better workability. Furthermore, rheological results showed that the rutting resistance of the binder blends containing RAS was improved by increasing the percentage of self-healing polymer. Results also showed improved rheological behaviors at low service temperature with 5% self-healing polymer and with exposure to UV light.

Multi-scale evaluation of the effect of ras on the fracture properties of asphalt mixtures

A comprehensive laboratory testing program was conducted to examine the blending between recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) and virgin asphalt binders and to evaluate the effect of RAS on resistance of asphalt mixes to fatigue and low-temperature cracking. To this end, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was utilized to study the blending between the RAS and the virgin asphalt binders. Manufacturing waste RAS and tear-off RAS were used in this paper. A new sample-preparation procedure was developed to simulate the blending between the RAS and the virgin asphalt binders that occurs during the asphalt mixture production. The stiffness and the adhesive properties were evaluated along the blending zone between the RAS and virgin binders. Several asphalt mixtures were also used to evaluate the effect of the incorporation of RAS on the mix performance, including a control mixture with virgin materials only, and two mixtures containing 5% RAS materials. The resistance of the asphalt mixtures to fatigue cracking was evaluated using the semi-circular bend (SCB) test. In addition the potential for low-temperature cracking was evaluated using the asphalt concrete cracking device (ACCD). The AFM test results showed that very limited to no blending between manufacturing waste or tear-off RAS materials and the virgin binder considered. The asphalt mixture test results also showed that the use of tear-off RAS in asphalt mixes significantly reduced their resistance to low-temperature and fatigue cracking, which can be attributed to the very limited blending observed in the AFM experiments between the RAS and the virgin asphalt binders.

Toward the development of performance-related specification for bio-rejuvenators

The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) has many benefits. However, premature cracking has become a serious concern for mixes containing RAP/RAS. Recently, a variety of bio-rejuvenators have been developed to address the premature cracking issue. However, there is no purchasing specification available for bio-rejuvenators. This paper presents the efforts made toward the development of performance-related specification for bio-rejuvenators. A total of eight bio-rejuvenators including seven commercial bio-rejuvenators and one recycled vegetable oil, were evaluated in this study. Their chemical and rheological properties and aging characteristics were measured. In addition, the effectiveness of the eight bio-rejuvenators in improving low temperature property of (recycled) asphalt binders was investigated. Although rheological dynamic viscosity has a fair correlation with the stiffness based low temperature performance grade (PG), the chemical property, total fatty acid content is the preferred performance indicator, because (1) the low temperature PG of recycled asphalt binders is controlled primarily by relaxation property (or m value); and (2) the total fatty acid content has much better correlation with the m-based low temperature PG than the dynamic viscosity. The total fatty acid content was verified by mixing pure fatty acid compounds (palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid) with a virgin PG64-22 binder. The identified performance indicator was further confirmed by testing blends of recycled binder/virgin binder/three bio-rejuvenators. Additionally, two field test sections with 30% recycled RAP and bio-rejuvenators were constructed for validation. Laboratory test results of the plant mixes collected from the field clearly validated the effectiveness of total fatty acid content as the performance indicator for bio-rejuvenators. At the end of this paper, a framework of performance-related specification for bio-rejuvenators is proposed. A total of seven aspects of bio-rejuvenators are included: (1) total fatty acid content for bio-rejuvenator classification, (2) saturated fatty acid content for avoiding potential negative effect of wax, (3) flashing point for safety, (4) dynamic viscosity for pumping bio-rejuvenators to the mixing drum, (5) dynamic viscosity ratio of RTFO residue to original rejuvenator for screening out the bio-rejuvenators susceptible to short term aging, (6) RTFO (or TFO) mass loss for avoiding massive loss of volatiles, and (7) specific gravity.

Minimum Virgin Binder Content Needed in Recycled Superpave Mixtures to Resist Fatigue Cracking and Moisture Damage

Use of recycled materials such as recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingle (RAS) in hot-mix asphalt (HMA) is common now due to their economy and sustainability. However, the effects of RAP and RAS on mixture performance are not fully known. In this research, three recycled Superpave mixture with 9.5 and 19 mm nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) were studied as control mixtures. Binder grades in mixtures containing higher percentages of recycled materials (RAP and RAS) were established using a blending chart. Nine laboratory-designed mixtures with different virgin binder contents were evaluated for potential early fatigue cracking using the dynamic modulus and simplified viscoelastic continuum damage direct tension fatigue tests. Moisture susceptibility of the mixtures was evaluated using the Hamburg wheel tracking and modified Lottman tests. Decreased virgin binder content resulted in inferior moisture and rutting performance for 9.5-mm mixtures. Similar fatigue performance was predicted for the mixtures made with the same source of materials regardless of NMAS. In general, mixtures with virgin binder content of 65% of total effective asphalt content and higher showed better performance properties.

Fatigue performance of asphalt mixture containing recycled materials and warm-mix technologies under accelerated loading and four point bending beam test

Using high contents of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in pavement constructions has gained significant popularity in the recent years as a viable solution to cleaner paving material productions. The objective of this study was to evaluate fatigue cracking resistance of RAP and RAS containing asphalt paving mixtures by a bench-scale test and a full-scale test. A flexural beam fatigue test method was used for the bench-scale evaluation, while the accelerated loading facility (ALF) experimental data, obtained by the federal highway administration (FHWA) since 2013, provided the full-scale evaluation. A total of ten plant produced asphalt mixtures used for ten full-scale test lanes were collected at the time of construction and recently prepared as beam specimens for the four-point bending beam fatigue test. Two performance grades asphalt binders (PG 64-22 and PG 58-28) were used with a conventional hot-mix and two warm-mix (foaming and chemical additive) production processes. Beam fatigue tests were conducted by applying strain-controlled repeated sine waves until the beam failure occurs at 50% of the initial stiffness (Si), which were then used to evaluate the fatigue resistance of the ten mixtures. Beam fatigue and ALF test results indicated that an increase in recycled binder ratio (RBR) results in a reduced fatigue life. Use of RAS appeared to reduce the fatigue life of ALF test lane by 65%, but reduced the mixture fatigue life by only 2.3%. Using softer asphalt binder (PG58-28) improved the fatigue life of asphalt mixtures and pavements with 40% RAP, but did not improve as much when used with 20% RAS. Using the foaming warm mix asphalt (WMA) process improved the fatigue life of asphalt mixtures and pavements when used with 20% RAP. However, when used with 40% RAP, this benefit of the foaming WMA process may be reduced. The chemical WMA binder additive (Evotherm) generally did not improve the fatigue life of asphalt mixtures and pavements.

A critical review on the performance of portland cement concrete with recycled organic components

Abstract The quick accumulation of recycled organic components with the modern society development has caused serious environment issues, and the utilization of these recycled organic components in concrete production can effectively mitigate recycling pressure. Portland cement concrete mixes containing recycled organic components behave differently in both fresh and hardened stages compared to conventional concrete, which need to be thoroughly studied before a large-scale field application. This paper aims to critically review the currently-reported performance of concrete with recycled organic components and to identify the knowledge gap for future sudies. This paper first conducted the characteristic investigation of recycled organic components, which provided the needed information for the classification of recycled organic components. Then the property performance, including workability, mechanical properties, and durability of concrete containing recycled organic component was evaluated. It has been concluded that both the workability and concrete strength will decrease with the added recycled organic components. However the durability performance, including freeze-thaw, impact resistance, and the resistance to alkali-silica reaction can be enhanced with the added recycled organic components. Aiming at the decreased strength, surface treatment methods have been reviewed. The current finding demonstrated the NaOH surface treatment for rubber particles and oxidation method for reclaimed asphalt mixture aggregates can enhance the concrete performance, respectively. Finally, the practice of applying recycled organic components in high strength and self-consolidating concrete was summarized, which demonstrated the potential of high performance concrete production with recycled organic component. Current knowledge gaps were identified to point out the challenges for the further study, including the difficulties to produce high strength and self-consolidating concrete with replacement ratio of recycled organic components higher than 50%. This study will provide the firm base for the application and future study on concrete containing recycled organic components, including reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) and recycled crumb rubber (RCR).

Enhanced mortar approach to characterize the effect of reclaimed asphalt pavement on virgin binder true grade

The asphalt community seeks a solvent-free method to determine the properties of RAP binder and those of its blends with virgin binders. A promising approach is to test mortars composed of fine fractions of RAP and a virgin binder, and to calculate grade change rate (GCR) to predict blended binder true grade at any binder replacement rate (BRR). However, the existing mortar approach underestimates the effect of RAP on binder grade, particularly at high temperatures. This study identified the use of a shift factor in the existing method as the source of underestimations. An alternative data analysis method was developed, which eliminates the shift factor by using the relationship between binder and mortar properties. Dynamic shear rheometer tests were conducted on a total of 12 mortar combinations, including 4 virgin binders and 3 RAP sources at a BRR of 15%, and then, RAP GCR values were determined by following both the existing and the alternative methods. Satisfactory comparisons were only observed between grades predicted with the alternative method and measured values of manual RAP binder blends: the average difference was lower than 1 °C for BRR of 15 and 30%, and < 4 °C for BRR of 100%. This not only validated the alternative method but also substantiated that RAP GCR is constant, i.e., the grade of RAP blends linearly increased with BRR. Further evaluation of the enhanced mortar approach is recommended at intermediate and low temperatures as well as with blends including recycled asphalt shingles.

Evaluation of Low-Temperature Cracking Performance of Asphalt Pavements Using Acoustic Emission: A Review

Low-temperature cracking is a major form of distress that can compromise the structural integrity of asphalt pavements located in cold regions. A review of an Acoustic Emission (AE)-based approach is presented that is capable of assessing the low-temperature cracking performance of asphalt binders and asphalt pavement materials through determining their embrittlement temperatures. A review of the background and fundamental aspects of the AE-based approach with a brief overview of its application to estimate low-temperature performance of unaged, short-term, and long-term aged binders, as well as asphalt materials, is presented. The application of asphalt pavements containing recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) materials to thermal cracking assessment is also presented and discussed. Using the Felicity effect, the approach is capable of evaluating the self-healing characteristics of asphalt pavements and the effect of cooling cycles upon their fracture behavior. Using an iterative AE source location technique, the approach is also used to evaluate the efficiency of rejuvenators, which can restore aged asphalt pavements to their original crack-resistant state. Results indicate that AE allows for relatively rapid and inexpensive characterization of pavement materials and can be used towards enhancing pavement sustainability and resiliency to thermal loading.

Using Artificial Neural Networks to Predict the Dynamic Modulus of Asphalt Mixtures Containing Recycled Asphalt Shingles

AbstractThe difference between hot-mix asphalt (HMA) containing recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) and virgin HMA in terms of composition and properties causes difficulties when engineers try to predi...

Prediction of pavement fatigue cracking at an accelerated testing section using asphalt mixture performance tests

Cracking in asphalt concrete (AC) layers is among the driving modes of flexible pavement deterioration. Material properties, along with structural layer characteristics and external factors such as vehicular and environmental loading, govern cracking mechanisms in flexible pavements. Current practice of AC and pavement structural design methods does not allow for direct characterisation of AC impact on crack damage initiation and propagation. Asphalt concrete performance tests are the essential components of performance-related and performance-based specifications, for which they can be used either for screening AC to minimise deterioration risks or to directly predict specific modes of pavement deterioration. This paper evaluates commonly used performance tests intended to characterise AC fracture resistance. A multi-step evaluation protocol was applied using various statistical techniques to determine the discrimination ability of each test method outcome criterion as well as strength of correlation to field performance. The results from full-scale accelerated pavement test (APT) sections were used to correlate with the results obtained from various laboratory performance tests. Mixes used in the study contained various levels of reclaimed asphalt pavement and recycled asphalt shingles with a recycled binder ratio up to 40%. It was shown that the flexibility index parameter obtained from the Illinois semi-circular bending (IL-SCB) test, also referred to as the Illinois Flexibility Index Test (I-FIT), resulted in the highest number of subsets and consistent ranking with APT field performance, indicating a high discrimination potential. Even though two of the overlay test’s criteria resulted in fewer subsets, they also provided a consistent ranking with APT field performance. Composite scores indicate that the overlay test criteria and flexibility index from the I-FIT had the highest strength of correlation to field performance.

Mechanistic-empirical pavement performance of asphalt mixtures with recycled asphalt shingles

As highway agencies are in the process of adopting the new mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide, Pavement ME, it is unclear how asphalt mixtures incorporating Recycled Asphalt Shingle (RAS) will influence the design when mechanistic-empirical approaches are used. In this study, Pavement ME was used to evaluate the effects of RAS (with or without recycling agents [RAs]) on pavement performance. Furthermore, a cost analysis was conducted to assess the life-cycle cost of asphalt pavements constructed with RAS. Three different pavement structures were analyzed at three traffic levels (low, medium, and high) and for two climatic regions (cold and hot). Pavement ME predicted that the mix with 5% Post-Consumer Waste Shingle (PCWS) and 5% RA would be the best performer against roughness, rutting, and fatigue cracking. This is due to the stiffening effect of RAS, which is reflected in the dynamic modulus inputted in the software. While one would expect RAS to improve rutting performance, the superior fatigue performance of mixes with RAS was not expected given that the binder in RAS is an air-blown asphalt binder with poor elongation and relaxation characteristics. Results were compared to the Semi-Circular Bending (SCB) test results, which realistically predicted that the mixes with RAS and recycling agents would be the worst performers against cracking. This can be explained by the increased availability of aged RAS binder in these mixes when a recycling agent is used. Results of the cost analysis showed that the mixtures with RAS are more economical to produce. When considering the predicted performance of the mixes, the mix with 5% PCWS and 5% RA had the lowest cost over the pavement service life.