Fiber-reinforcement effect on the mechanical behavior of reclaimed asphalt pavement–powdered rock–Portland cement mixtures

Abstract

The milling of asphalt pavements has been extensively applied as a restoration technique, however, a large quantity of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) waste is generated during this process. Numerous applications have been developed for the reutilization RAP, yet, these approaches are still not based on a rational criterion methodology for cemented soils, especially for fiber-reinforced ones. The goal of this research was to analyze the effect of fiber reinforcement on the mechanical behavior of reclaimed asphalt pavement–powdered rock–Portland cement mixtures, while proposing a rational dosage methodology through the porosity/cement content index (η/Civ). Resilient modulus, split tensile strength, and durability tests were conducted in non-reinforced and fiber-reinforced mixtures. Results have shown that non-reinforced mixtures depicted higher resilient modulus, split tensile strength, and durability when compared to fiber-reinforced ones, implying that fiber addition only hindered the mechanical properties of the specimens. This was associated with the length and diameter of the fiber along with the grain size and particle shape of the reclaimed asphalt pavement. Finally, the η/Civ index was shown to be an appropriate dosage methodology to predict the mechanical behavior of both non-reinforced and fiber-reinforced mixtures.

Keywords

• Reclaimed asphalt pavement
• Portland cement
• Fiber-reinforcement
• Porosity/cement content index