Advancing the multi-scale performance of asphalt pavements requires innovative binder modifications that address limitations in rutting resistance, fatigue resistance, and durability across the binder, mixture, and structural levels. This study evaluates the performance of asphalt cement, mixtures, and pavement systems modified with a combination of polyethylene (PE) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The binder was modified using 4% PE and varying CNT contents (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% by weight of the modified binder). Binder performance was assessed through conventional and rheological tests, including penetration, softening point, viscosity, performance grade (PG) evaluation, and master curve analysis. Mixture-level performance was evaluated using Marshall properties, rutting, resilient modulus, and fatigue tests. Long-term pavement behavior was predicted using VESYS 5W software. The results showed that incorporating 1.0% CNT with 4.0% PE significantly improved binder rheology, increasing the true failure temperature by approximately 10% compared to the reference binder. Complex modulus and phase angle master curves also indicated notable improvements at low frequencies. Mixtures containing 2% CNT demonstrated approximately one-third of the permanent strain observed in the reference mix, while PCNT1.0% exhibited the best fatigue resistance. These findings highlight the significant role of combining plastomeric modifiers (PE) with nanoscale materials (CNTs) in enhancing the performance of asphalt binders and mixtures.
Flexible pavements are subjected to three main distress types: fatigue crack, thermal crack, and permanent deformation. Under severe climate conditions, thermal cracking particularly contributes largely to a considerable scale of premature deterioration of pavement infrastructure worldwide. This challenge is especially relevant for Europe, as weather conditions vary significantly throughout the year. Hydrated lime (HL) has been recognized as an effective additive to improve the mechanical properties of asphalt concrete for pavement applications. Previous research has found that a replacement of conventional limestone dust filler using hydrated lime at 2.5% of the total weight of aggregates generated an optimum improvement in the mec
... Show MoreBasrah crude oil Vacuum residue 773+ K with specific gravity 1.107 and 4.87wt. % sulfur, was treated with hexane commercial fraction provided from Al-Taji Gas Company for preparing deasphaltened oil(DAO)suitable for hydrotreating process. Deasphaltening was carried out with 1h mixing time, 10ml:1g solvent to oil ratio and at room temperature. Hexane deasphaltened oil was hydrotreated on presulfied commercial Co-Mo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst in a trickle bed reactor. The hydrotreating process was carried out at temperature 660 K,LHSV 1.3 h^ –1, H2/oil ratio 300 l/l and constant pressure of 4MPa. The hydrotreated product was distillated under vacuum distillation unit. It is found that the mixture of 75% of vacuum residue with 25% anthracene satisfie
... Show MoreThe durability of asphalt pavement is associated with the properties and performance of the binder. This work-study intended to understand the impact of blending Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) to conventional asphalt concrete mixtures and calculating the Optimum Asphalt Content (OAC) for conventional mixture also; compare the performance between SBS modified with the conventional mixture. Two different kinds of asphalt penetration grades, A.C. (40-50) and A.C. (60-70), were improved with 2.5 and 3.5% SBS polymer, respectively. Marshall properties were determined in this work. Optimum Asphalt Content (OAC) was 4.93 and 5.1% by weight of mixture for A.C. (40-50) and (60-70), respectively. Marshall properties results show an increasem
... Show MoreWarm mix asphalt (WMA) is relatively a new technology which enables the production and compaction of asphalt concrete mixtures at temperatures 15-40 °C lower than that of traditional hot mix asphalt HMA. In the present work, six asphalt concrete mixtures were produced in the mix plant (1 ton each) in six different batches. Half of these mixes were WMA and the other half were HMA. Three types of fillers (limestone dust, Portland cement and hydrated lime) were used for each type of mix. Samples were then taken from these patches and transferred to lab for performance testing which includes: Marshall characteristics, moisture susceptibility (indirect tension test), resilient modulus, permanent deformation (axial repeated load test)
... Show MoreWarm mix asphalt (WMA) is relatively a new technology which enables the production and compaction of asphalt concrete mixtures at temperatures 15-40 °C lower than that of traditional hot mix asphalt HMA. In the present work, six asphalt concrete mixtures were produced in the mix plant (1 ton each) in six different batches. Half of these mixes were WMA and the other half were HMA. Three types of fillers (limestone dust, Portland cement and hydrated lime) were used for each type of mix. Samples were then taken from these patches and transferred to lab for performance testing which includes: Marshall characteristics, moisture susceptibility (indirect tension test), resilient modulus, permanent deformation (axial repe
... Show MoreThe reuse or recycling of waste materials in different aspects of life is served the objective of sustainability and be beneficial to society. In recent years, a wide variety of waste materials were used in pavement construction. One of these materials is glass that generally produces in large quantities and crushed glass can be considered feasible alternative source of aggregate for asphalt mixture production. This study focused on examining the asphalt mixture properties of wearing course using crushed glass as fine aggregates. Fine crushed glass with various percentages by total weight retained on sieve 2.36 mm, 0.3 mm and 0.075 mm was used in the study. The results indicate that mixes containing crushed glass had lower Marshall stabilit
... Show MoreHot mix recycling of asphalt pavements is increasingly being used as one of the major rehabilitation methods by various highway agencies. Besides general savings in costs and energy expended, it also saves our natural resources and environment. Recycling process presents a sustainable pavement by using the old materials that could be reclaimed from the pavement; these materials could be mixed with recycling agents to produce recycled mixtures. The important expected benefits of recycling process are the conservation of natural resources and reduction of environmental impact. The primary objectives of this work are evaluating the Tensile and Shear Properties of recycled asphalt concrete mixtures, In addition to the
... Show MoreThe behavior of externally prestressed composite beams under short term loading has been studied. A computer program developed originally by Oukaili to evaluate curvature is modified to evaluate the deflection of prestressed composite beam under flexural load. The analysis model based on the deformation compatibility of entire structure that allows to determine the full history of strain and stress distribution along cross section depth, deflection and stress increment in the external tendons .
The evaluation of curvatures for the composite beam involves iterations for computing the strains vectors at each node at any loading stage. The stress increment determined using equations depended on the member deflection at points of connecti
The main objective of this study is to develop predictive models using SPSS software (version 18) for Marshall Test results of asphalt mixtures compacted by Hammer, Gyratory, and Roller compaction. Bulk density of (2.351) gm/cc, at OAC of (4.7) % was obtained as a benchmark after using Marshall Compactor as laboratory compactive effort with 75-blows. Same density was achieved by Roller and Gyratory Compactors using its mix designed methods.
A total of (75) specimens, for Marshall, Gyratory, and Roller Compactors have been prepared, based on OAC of (4.7) % with an additional asphalt contents of more and less than (0.5) % from the optimum value. All specimens have been subjected to Marshall Test. Mathematical model
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