Use of Reclaimed Geomembranes for Modification of Mechanical Performance of Bituminous Binders

Abstract

The use of modified binders plays a very important role in the construction of more durable pavements. However, the addition of modifiers to the binders could considerably increase their cost, making these materials less competitive. Thus, in recent years, various research studies have been carried out to obtain new modified binders that could lead to an improvement in the mechanical performance of asphalt pavements without a notable increase in their construction costs. To this end, the reuse of wastes and by-products from other industries has been posited as an interesting and sustainable alternative. This study investigates the reuse of scraps from reclaimed geomembranes composed of low-density polyethylene and polyester fibers as modifiers for asphalt binders. For this purpose, different blends of this waste and neat bitumen were manufactured and tested [penetration, softening point, storage stability, frequency sweep, multiple stress creep-recovery (MSCR), and time sweep tests). In addition, the results obtained were compared with those obtained by using neat bitumen and traditional polymer modified bitumen. This study indicates that reclaimed geomembranes could be an interesting modifier for asphalt binders because they can increase their resistance to permanent deformation, stiffness and elasticity, reduce their temperature susceptibility, and extend their fatigue life.