Research on the Preparation Process and Performance Improvement of a New Type of Asphalt Emulsion Cold Patch Material

Abstract

Cold patch materials have some shortcomings when repairing potholes, such as poor storage performance and the inability to quickly form strength. In order to effectively solve these problems, it is urgent to develop a semipermanent asphalt emulsion cold patch material that has storage performance and can quickly form strength. Based on this, this paper first determines the grading of AC-13 as asphalt emulsion cold patch material. Secondly, the effects of asphalt emulsion dosage and water and cement content on the mixture design indicators were studied to obtain the optimal mix ratio of asphalt emulsion cold patch material. The Marshall stability is used as the early-strength evaluation index of cold patch material, and the workability after 6 h of storage is used as the storage requirement index. Based on the above indicators, the performance of the asphalt emulsion cold patch material improved by some admixtures is characterized. Finally, the pavement performance of the new asphalt emulsion cold patch material was evaluated, including strength, water stability, high-temperature stability, and workability. The research results show that when 3% composite portland cement is used as the cementing material, the 3-day strength of the cold patch material is increased by 166.81%, and the working time is maintained at more than 6 h. The incorporation of demulsifiers and early-strength water-reducing agents can significantly increase the water loss rate of cold patch materials after compaction. The water loss rate can reach more than 40% within 3 days, and the early strength of cold patch materials is also significantly improved. Compared with ordinary and styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS)-modified asphalt emulsion cold patching materials, the new asphalt emulsion cold patching materials have better road performance and are easier to meet construction requirements. The research results offer valuable theoretical guidance for the application of asphalt emulsion cold patch materials in road pothole repair.