Studies on Self-Healing Properties of Glass Fibre Reinforced Bituminous Concrete Mixes

Abstract

In the present era, numerous researchers are actively exploring diverse approaches to modify Bituminous Concrete (BC) and seeking alternative paving materials to extend the lifespan of road surfaces and to enhance the longevity and resilience of bitumen pavements, while simultaneously mitigating environmental pollution stemming from hydrocarbon materials. Among the effective materials employed for AC modification, fibers have emerged as one of the successful choice. This research focuses on investigating the inherent self-healing capabilities of bitumen when incorporating glass fibers and assess their impact on the bitumen mixture. Glass fibers are known for their elevated tensile modulus and exceptional heat resistance. The mixture containing glass fibers is evaluated for its characterisation, determining the optimal glass fiber content along with the corresponding binder content. The study encompasses an examination on optimized samples for Self-Healing by Indirect Tensile Strength, and repeated load Indirect Tensile Strength. The outcomes yielded positive results, demonstrating that the inclusion of glass fibers led to an augmentation in strength and healing, both under static and dynamic loading conditions.

Keywords

• bituminous concrete (bc)
• self-healing
• optimum glass fibres content (ogfc)
• moisture susceptibility
• indirect tensile strength (its)
• tensile strength ratio (tsr)
• cycle count