Evaluation of Cracking Resistance of High Modulus Asphalt Mixture Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement

Abstract

The cracking resistance of a high modulus asphalt mixture (HMAM) containing reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) was studied in this paper. Asphalt binder #30 and a high modulus additive were used to prepare HMAM containing RAP. Mixtures were designed by the Marshall mix design method. To improve the mixing of RAP and virgin material, the regeneration effects of the improved and traditional regeneration methods were compared. Different HMAM was obtained by changing the RAP content, the dosage of rejuvenator, the type of asphalt and the addition method of the high modulus additive. A dynamic modulus test was applied to the test mixtures, and splitting tensile strength and relaxation spectrum parameters were used to evaluate the cracking resistance of HMAM. The Glover–Rowe (G-R) parameter and R-value, which are related to aging, were also used to evaluate the cracking resistance of HMAM. The results indicate that the mixing effect of HMAM obtained by the improved regeneration method is better than that of HMAM obtained by the traditional regeneration method. Relaxation spectrum parameters can evaluate the cracking resistance of HMAM well. The R-value has a good correlation with relaxation spectrum parameters, and it shows a good linear correlation with the G-R parameter. This study provides a reference for research on the cracking resistance of HMAM and contributes to the application of RAP.