Performance Evaluation of Fibre Modified Asphalt Mixes in Cold Regions

In cold regions such as Canada, pavement structures are subject to extremely low air temperatures and seasonal freeze-thaw cycles over the life cycle of the roadway, resulting in pavement distress, deterioration, and decreased service life. Each year, billions of dollars are spent in Canada on rehabilitation and new construction of asphalt pavements. Hence, prevention of premature failure has become of prime strategic importance for road owners. Fibers have already been used to reinforce paving materials for many decades in various parts of the world. Polymer fibers have high tensile strength relative to asphalt mixtures, and thus, have the potential to improve the cohesive and tensile strength of bituminous mixes and prevent crack propagation in the resulting composite. The most commonly used polymer fibers are polyester, polypropylene, aramid, and various combinations of these. There has, however, been less attention to the incorporation of fibers in asphalt mixes to improve resistance to thermal cracking, an application that would prove extremely beneficial for road construction in cold climates. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of adding polymer fibers to hot mix asphalt to increase its resistance to thermal cracking. For this purpose, three different types of polymer fibers including aramids, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN), in different sizes, were added to conventional hot asphalt mixes. The resulting samples were compacted in the laboratory and their mechanical properties were compared to conventional hot mix asphalt.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Web
  • Pagination: 1 PDF file, 1.3 MB, 14p.
  • Monograph Title: Transportation Association of Canada and ITS Canada 2019 Joint Conference and Exhibition

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01730395
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
  • Files: ITRD, TAC
  • Created Date: Feb 4 2020 2:59PM