Performance Evaluation of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement in Hot Mix Asphalt Modified with Organosilane

Use of Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in newly designed asphalt mixtures is becoming a common practice. Depending on the percentage of RAP, the stiffness of the hot mix asphalt (HMA) increases by incorporating RAP in mixes. In a climatic area such as the City of Phoenix, RAP properties are expected to be more oxidized and aged compared to other regions across the US. Therefore, there are concerns about the cracking behavior and long-term performance of asphalt mixes with high percentage of RAP. The use of Organosilane (OS) in this study was hypothesized to reduce the additional cracking potential and improve resistance to moisture damage of the asphalt mixtures when using RAP. OS has also the potential to improve the bond between the aggregate and asphalt binder. The use of OS also reduces the mixing and compaction temperatures required for asphalt mixtures, making it similar to a warm mix asphalt (WMA),

Six asphalt mixes were prepared with three RAP contents, 0%, 15% and 25%, with and without Organosilane. The mixing temperature was reduced by 10°C and the compaction temperature was reduced by 30°C. Mix designs were performed, and the volumetric properties were compared. The mixture laboratory performance was evaluated for all mixtures by conducting Dynamic Modulus, Flow Number and Tensile Strength Ratio tests.

The study findings showed that mixtures achieved better compaction at a reduced temperature of 30°C. Mixtures modified with Organosilane generally exhibited softer behavior at the extreme ends of lower and higher temperatures. The lower moduli are to reduce the potential for cracking. For the Flow Number test, the RAP mixtures with OS passed the minimum required at all traffic levels. Tensile Strength Ratio results increased with the increase in RAP percentage, and further increase was observed when OS was used. The OS reduced the sticking nature of the binder to the molds and equipment, which reduced the efforts in cleaning them.

Finally, the future use of RAP by the City of Phoenix would positively contributes to their sustainability aspiration and initiatives. The use of Organosilane may even facilitates higher percentage of RAP usage; it definitely improves the moisture resistance of asphalt mixtures, especially when lower mixing and compaction temperatures are desired or used.