A laboratory study of the effect of fiberglass additive on the behavioural properties of rap asphalt mixtures

Abstract

The increase in the amount of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and environmental concerns for bitumen production have contributed to the use of RAP in road construction and maintenance. The use of higher than 15% of RAP adversely affects the physical and rheological properties of the asphalt binder and the mechanical properties of mixtures. Therefore, the use of bitumen and asphalt mixture improver were necessary to reduce the negative effects generated with the use of RAP. This paper aims to study the effect of fiberglass (FG) (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2%) on the mechanical properties of asphalt concrete containing 25%, 50% RAP and 9% waste engine oil. The performance of RAP asphalt mixtures incorporated with FG was evaluated using the Marshall stability test, moisture susceptibility test, and immersion wheel rutting test. The results indicated that the use of FG and RAP materials to rejuvenated asphalt mixtures resulted in an increase in the values of Marshall stability and rutting resistance. Moreover, the study revealed that increasing the content of RAP material and FG results in increased resistance of asphalt to moisture damage. This paper concluded that using 0.15% of FG and 50% RAP materials gives the best results.