Sustainability Assessment of Recycled Asphalt Mixtures Based on Performance in Full-Scale Testing

Abstract

Public perception is that the cost and environmental impacts of pavement projects decrease when recycled materials are used in asphalt mixtures; most research studies support it. However, these studies usually analyzed only the initial construction stage or at most considered some hypothetical rehabilitation scenarios that may not reflect the reality. The objective of this research study was to assess the life cycle sustainability of three recycled asphalt mixtures in comparison with that of a control virgin mixture based on their performance in full-scale testing. Twelve flexible pavement sections were constructed from these mixtures as the wearing course to evaluate their resistance to rutting, fatigue cracking, and reflection cracking with an accelerated pavement testing machine. Using the results of the test, the environmental burden of pavement sections was evaluated for a 5-year analysis period. Results of this study suggest that the environmental friendliness of the production of an asphalt mixture with recycled materials does not necessarily transfer to its entire lifecycle if its unsatisfactory performance warrants frequent subsequent rehabilitation activities. Further testing and analysis of recycled asphalt mixtures are recommended to assess the findings of this study.