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. 2020 Dec 1;13(23):5473.
doi: 10.3390/ma13235473.

Study of the Stiffness of the Bitumen Emulsion Based Cold Recycling Mixes for Road Base Courses

Katarzyna Konieczna  1 , Piotr Pokorski  1 , Wojciech Sorociak  2   3 , Piotr Radziszewski  1 , Dawid Żymełka  3 , Jan Bolesław Król  1
Affiliations

Study of the Stiffness of the Bitumen Emulsion Based Cold Recycling Mixes for Road Base Courses

Katarzyna Konieczna et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

The benefits of the use of cold recycling mixtures (CRMs) in pavement rehabilitation are associated with both the reduction of natural resource consumption by replacing them with recycled materials and the reduction of energy consumption during their production and paving. The evolution of the stiffness of CRMs in road construction and the fatigue life of pavements with CRM base layers are still being investigated. In this paper, CRMs with 1% cement content, called bitumen-stabilized materials with bitumen emulsion (BSM-Es), were examined. Mixtures that were differentiated in terms of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) content, as well as the amount and type of bitumen emulsions, were subjected to indirect tensile stiffness modulus (ITSM) tests at 5 °C, 13 °C, and 20 °C. The thermal sensitivities of the BSM-E mixtures were analyzed. BSM-E mixture stiffness modulus levels at various temperatures were determined using a statistical approach. On the basis of the results obtained, a discussion on the mechanistic-empirical design of flexible pavements with BSM-E base layers is presented. The potential benefits of using BSM-E materials in road construction in certain aspects of pavement life are indicated.

Keywords: ITSM; bitumen emulsion; bitumen-stabilized materials; cold recycling mixtures; mechanistic-empirical pavement design.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Bitumen-stabilized materials with bitumen emulsion (BSM-E) and cement–bitumen-treated material (CBTM) grading curves with target grading [8].
Figure 2
Figure 2
ITSM test results for BSM-E and CBTM mixtures at 5 °C, 13 °C, and 20 °C. (a) BSM-E 70%_3.0%E1, (b) BSM-E 70%_3.0%E2, (c) BSM-E 50%_3.0%E1, (d) BSM-E 50%_3.0%E2, (e) BSM-E 70%_4.5%E1, (f) BSM-E 70%_4.5%E2, (g) BSM-E 50%_5.2%E1, (h) BSM-E 50%_5.2%E2, and (i) CBTM with 3% cement content.
Figure 2
Figure 2
ITSM test results for BSM-E and CBTM mixtures at 5 °C, 13 °C, and 20 °C. (a) BSM-E 70%_3.0%E1, (b) BSM-E 70%_3.0%E2, (c) BSM-E 50%_3.0%E1, (d) BSM-E 50%_3.0%E2, (e) BSM-E 70%_4.5%E1, (f) BSM-E 70%_4.5%E2, (g) BSM-E 50%_5.2%E1, (h) BSM-E 50%_5.2%E2, and (i) CBTM with 3% cement content.
Figure 3
Figure 3
ITSM values as a function of the testing temperature.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Box plot of ITSM values at 5 °C.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Probability density function of a normal distribution N (4678; 406) for ITSM values at 5 °C.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Box plot of ITSM values at 13 °C.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Probability density function of a normal distribution N (3289; 355) for ITSM values at 13 °C.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Box plot of ITSM values at 20 °C.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Probability density function of a normal distribution N (2619; 329) for ITSM values at 20 °C.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Regression curve for the specified BSM-E stiffness values at 5 °C, 13 °C, and 20 °C.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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