Effect of Rejuvenated Binder on the Pavement Rutting Performance at Different Aging Levels

Abstract

The use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in virgin mixtures is an effective means of promoting sustainability. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of rejuvenated binder on the rutting performance and moisture susceptibility of high RAP content mixtures. All mixtures were tested at three aging levels, one short-term aging level, and two long-term aging levels. The performance of the specimens and the level of diffusion were measured and compared, and the correlation between binder test and rutting test results was evaluated. Based on the results, the degree of diffusion is not a determining factor in the performance of the mixture. However, the amount of the rejuvenator and Superpave performance grading (PG) of the rejuvenated binder is the most effective parameter. Results indicate that the short-term aged recycled mix exhibits a better rutting resistance than the virgin mix when its HTPG is 6°C higher than the virgin mix.