Today, a large quantity of waste is generated from the replacement of residential and commercial roofs. Many of the roofs being upgraded with previously constructed from asphalt shingles. Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS) contain nearly 30% of asphalt cement by mass, which can be a useful additive to asphalt pavements. In addition, shingles can offer significant potential savings through recycling and recovery as a construction material in flexible pavement. Currently, one and a half million tons of roofing shingle waste is generated each year in Canada related to the replacement of residential and commercial roofs and 90% of this valuable material is sent to landfills. If engineered properly, the addition of RAS into Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) can provide significant benefits. The University of Waterloo’s Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) is committed to working with public and private sector partners to develop sustainable technologies for the pavement industry. Using RAS in HMA can lead to economical, environmental and social benefits. Examples of which are reduced waste going to landfills and a reduction in the quantity of virgin material required. This research has involved the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and Miller Paving Limited. It was conducted to evaluate the performance of HMA containing RAS in both field and laboratory tests. A varying percentage of RAS was added to six common Ontario surface and binder layer of asphalt mixes. The intent was to determine if RAS could be added to improve performance and provide longer term cost savings. Laboratory testing was performed to evaluate the mix behavior. The elastic properties, fatigue life and resistance to thermal cracking were all evaluated at the CPATT laboratory. The characteristics of the mixes were evaluated by carrying out Dynamic Modulus, Resilient Modulus, Flexural Fatigue and Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST) tests following American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Field test sections were constructed from HMA containing RAS to monitor the pavement behavior under natural environmental and traffic loading conditions. Evaluation of the field sites was performed using a Portable Falling Weight Deflectometer (PFWD) and carrying out distress surveys following the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) guidelines. The results to date show the sections performing very well with minimal to no distress developing. The results of the laboratory testing and field performance evaluations have shown encouraging results for the future use of RAS in HMA. If RAS can properly be engineered into HMA it can be a useful additive in both the surface and binder layers of the flexible pavement structure. Ultimately, the use of RAS in HMA can provide both an environmentally friendly and cost effective solution to the Ontario paving industry.

Today, a large quantity of waste is generated from the replacement of residential and commercial roofs. Many of the roofs being upgraded with previously constructed from asphalt shingles. Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS) contain nearly 30% of asphalt cement by mass, which can be a useful additive to asphalt pavements. In addition, shingles can offer significant potential savings through recycling and recovery as a construction material in flexible pavement. Currently, one and a half million tons of roofing shingle waste is generated each year in Canada related to the replacement of residential and commercial roofs and 90% of this valuable material is sent to landfills. If engineered properly, the addition of RAS into Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) can provide significant benefits. The University of Waterloo’s Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) is committed to working with public and private sector partners to develop sustainable technologies for the pavement industry. Using RAS in HMA can lead to economical, environmental and social benefits. Examples of which are reduced waste going to landfills and a reduction in the quantity of virgin material required. This research has involved the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and Miller Paving Limited. It was conducted to evaluate the performance of HMA containing RAS in both field and laboratory tests. A varying percentage of RAS was added to six common Ontario surface and binder layer of asphalt mixes. The intent was to determine if RAS could be added to improve performance and provide longer term cost savings. Laboratory testing was performed to evaluate the mix behavior. The elastic properties, fatigue life and resistance to thermal cracking were all evaluated at the CPATT laboratory. The characteristics of the mixes were evaluated by carrying out Dynamic Modulus, Resilient Modulus, Flexural Fatigue and Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST) tests following American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Field test sections were constructed from HMA containing RAS to monitor the pavement behavior under natural environmental and traffic loading conditions. Evaluation of the field sites was performed using a Portable Falling Weight Deflectometer (PFWD) and carrying out distress surveys following the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) guidelines. The results to date show the sections performing very well with minimal to no distress developing. The results of the laboratory testing and field performance evaluations have shown encouraging results for the future use of RAS in HMA. If RAS can properly be engineered into HMA it can be a useful additive in both the surface and binder layers of the flexible pavement structure. Ultimately, the use of RAS in HMA can provide both an environmentally friendly and cost effective solution to the Ontario paving industry.

The recent changes in the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) hot mix asphalt (HMA) mix design procedures to ensure that the mixture types routinely used on Texas highways are not prone to rutting raised concerns that these mixture types are now more susceptible to fatigue cracking. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate fatigue cracking test methods and recommend that which is both simple and robust, especially in qualifying commonly used Texas mixture types. One way to minimize fatigue cracking is through material screening and selection of appropriate mix designs that are representative of fatigue-resistant HMA mixes. However, there are not many standardized laboratory fracture resistance tests that have been universally adopted for routine mix design and/or screening purposes for HMA fatigue resistance. In this study, four different fracture test methods: the Overlay Tester (OT), Direct Tension (DT), Indirect Tension (IDT), and Semicircular Bending (SCB) tests were comparatively evaluated for their potential application as surrogate tests for routine fracture resistance evaluation and screening of HMA mixes in the laboratory. The evaluation criteria included: rationality of the test concept and correlation to field performance, repeatability and variability, simplicity and practicality of the sample fabrication process, and simplicity of data analysis. Results and key findings based on the laboratory fatigue resistance characterization of various commonly used Texas coarse- and fine-graded HMA mixes (Type B, C, and D) are presented in this paper. Overall, preliminary findings indicated that no monotonically-loaded test would be appropriate as a surrogate fatigue resistance test; however, the SCB test showed potential as a repeated-loading test. Suggested SCB test improvements include developing the repeated SCB test protocol, determining the appropriate failure criterion, and correlating laboratory performance to field performance.

O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é avaliar a influência que as propriedades estudadas dos agregados exercem sobre propriedades volumétricas e mecânicas de misturas asfálticas densas. Para tanto, foram avaliadas as propriedades de consenso e de origem, especificadas pelo Superpave, de um conjunto de agregados, além de suas densidades, porosidade, absorção e adesividade. Foram estudados agregados de gabro, basalto e areia natural e três tipos de granulometrias, uma denominada AZR, passando acima da zona de restrição da especificação Superpave, e outras duas, obtidas através do sistema de seleção granulométrica Bailey. Também três níveis de energia de compactação foram aplicados às misturas, 75, 110 e 155 golpes por face do corpo-de-prova Marshall. Avaliou-se o comportamento mecânico das misturas através dos ensaios de estabilidade e fluência Marshall, fluência por compressão uniaxial uniforme, fluência por compressão uniaxial dinâmica, resistência à tração, módulo de resiliência e fadiga. Os resultados mostraram que, de uma maneira geral, o agregado de gabro apresentou superioridade em relação ao agregado de basalto e de areia natural, tanto quando analisado isoladamente como quando analisado nas misturas asfálticas. Suas características de forma, angularidade e textura superficial permitiram arranjos entre partículas adequados, formando esqueletos estruturais resistentes à deformação permanente e também à fadiga. As análises das misturas à luz da granulometria mostram que, de uma maneira geral, a granulometria AZR produziu misturas mais estáveis, mais resistentes à deformação permanente e à fadiga. Pôde-se constatar, também, que as propriedades volumétricas são sensíveis às densidades dos agregados e à taxa de absorção destes, além de serem influenciadas diretamente pelas características de superfície dos agregados e pela energia de compactação. Com o aumento da energia de compactação aplicada, as partículas angulosas e rugosas dos agregados de gabro e de basalto arranjaram-se de maneira mais próxima e, por conseqüência, houve a diminuição dos vazios do agregado mineral e elevação da estabilidade e rigidez das misturas, sem, contudo, causar prejuízos à vida de fadiga. Os estudos sobre a absorção de asfalto pelos agregados revelaram que os agregados absorvem mais asfalto quanto mais fina a espessura da película de asfalto que os envolve e, também, que misturas com um mesmo teor de asfalto absorvem quantidades semelhantes de asfalto, sendo o tempo necessário para que a absorção se complete diretamente proporcional à viscosidade (temperatura) do asfalto. / The main objective of this research is to evaluate the influence that the studied properties of aggregates have on volumetric and mechanical characteristics of dense asphalt mixtures. It was evaluated origin and consensus properties, specified by the Superpave, for a set of aggregates, besides their densities, porosity, absorption and adhesiveness. Aggregates of gabbro, basalt and natural sand were studied and three types of aggregate gradations, one called AZR, passing above the zone of restriction of the Superpave specification, and two others, obtained through the Bailey method. Three levels of compaction energy were applied, corresponding respectively to 75, 110 and 155 blows of the Marshall hammer per face of the specimen. The mechanical behavior of the hot mix asphalt (HMA) was evaluated through the Marshall stability and flow, static and dynamic creep, indirect tensile strength, resilient modulus and fatigue tests. The results showed that, in general terms, the gabbro aggregate presented a superior behavior compared to the natural sand aggregate and the basalt aggregate, based on both aggregate and asphalt mixture evaluation tests. Its characteristics of form, angularity and surface texture resulted in an adequate arrangement between particles, building a resistant structural skeleton to both permanent deformation and fatigue cracking. Analyses of the HMA mixtures as a function of gradation showed that, in general terms, AZR mixtures were more stable, more resistant to permanent deformation and to fatigue cracking than Bailey mixtures. It could be evidenced that the volumetric properties depends on the specific gravity and the absorption rate of the aggregates, being also directly influenced by aggregate surface characteristics and compaction energy. Increasing the energy applied for specimen compaction resulted, for the angular and rough particles of gabbro and basalt aggregates, in a closer arrangement, with reduction of the voids in mineral aggregate and increase of the stability and stiffness of the mixtures, without, however, causing damages that could conduct to a shorter fatigue life. The studies about absorption of asphalt by aggregates showed that the smaller the asphalt film thickness the greater the asphalt absorption. The results also showed that HMA with the same asphalt content absorb similar amounts of asphalt, although the necessary time to complete the absorption is directly proportional to the asphalt viscosity (temperature).

O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é avaliar a influência que as propriedades estudadas dos agregados exercem sobre propriedades volumétricas e mecânicas de misturas asfálticas densas. Para tanto, foram avaliadas as propriedades de consenso e de origem, especificadas pelo Superpave, de um conjunto de agregados, além de suas densidades, porosidade, absorção e adesividade. Foram estudados agregados de gabro, basalto e areia natural e três tipos de granulometrias, uma denominada AZR, passando acima da zona de restrição da especificação Superpave, e outras duas, obtidas através do sistema de seleção granulométrica Bailey. Também três níveis de energia de compactação foram aplicados às misturas, 75, 110 e 155 golpes por face do corpo-de-prova Marshall. Avaliou-se o comportamento mecânico das misturas através dos ensaios de estabilidade e fluência Marshall, fluência por compressão uniaxial uniforme, fluência por compressão uniaxial dinâmica, resistência à tração, módulo de resiliência e fadiga. Os resultados mostraram que, de uma maneira geral, o agregado de gabro apresentou superioridade em relação ao agregado de basalto e de areia natural, tanto quando analisado isoladamente como quando analisado nas misturas asfálticas. Suas características de forma, angularidade e textura superficial permitiram arranjos entre partículas adequados, formando esqueletos estruturais resistentes à deformação permanente e também à fadiga. As análises das misturas à luz da granulometria mostram que, de uma maneira geral, a granulometria AZR produziu misturas mais estáveis, mais resistentes à deformação permanente e à fadiga. Pôde-se constatar, também, que as propriedades volumétricas são sensíveis às densidades dos agregados e à taxa de absorção destes, além de serem influenciadas diretamente pelas características de superfície dos agregados e pela energia de compactação. Com o aumento da energia de compactação aplicada, as partículas angulosas e rugosas dos agregados de gabro e de basalto arranjaram-se de maneira mais próxima e, por conseqüência, houve a diminuição dos vazios do agregado mineral e elevação da estabilidade e rigidez das misturas, sem, contudo, causar prejuízos à vida de fadiga. Os estudos sobre a absorção de asfalto pelos agregados revelaram que os agregados absorvem mais asfalto quanto mais fina a espessura da película de asfalto que os envolve e, também, que misturas com um mesmo teor de asfalto absorvem quantidades semelhantes de asfalto, sendo o tempo necessário para que a absorção se complete diretamente proporcional à viscosidade (temperatura) do asfalto. / The main objective of this research is to evaluate the influence that the studied properties of aggregates have on volumetric and mechanical characteristics of dense asphalt mixtures. It was evaluated origin and consensus properties, specified by the Superpave, for a set of aggregates, besides their densities, porosity, absorption and adhesiveness. Aggregates of gabbro, basalt and natural sand were studied and three types of aggregate gradations, one called AZR, passing above the zone of restriction of the Superpave specification, and two others, obtained through the Bailey method. Three levels of compaction energy were applied, corresponding respectively to 75, 110 and 155 blows of the Marshall hammer per face of the specimen. The mechanical behavior of the hot mix asphalt (HMA) was evaluated through the Marshall stability and flow, static and dynamic creep, indirect tensile strength, resilient modulus and fatigue tests. The results showed that, in general terms, the gabbro aggregate presented a superior behavior compared to the natural sand aggregate and the basalt aggregate, based on both aggregate and asphalt mixture evaluation tests. Its characteristics of form, angularity and surface texture resulted in an adequate arrangement between particles, building a resistant structural skeleton to both permanent deformation and fatigue cracking. Analyses of the HMA mixtures as a function of gradation showed that, in general terms, AZR mixtures were more stable, more resistant to permanent deformation and to fatigue cracking than Bailey mixtures. It could be evidenced that the volumetric properties depends on the specific gravity and the absorption rate of the aggregates, being also directly influenced by aggregate surface characteristics and compaction energy. Increasing the energy applied for specimen compaction resulted, for the angular and rough particles of gabbro and basalt aggregates, in a closer arrangement, with reduction of the voids in mineral aggregate and increase of the stability and stiffness of the mixtures, without, however, causing damages that could conduct to a shorter fatigue life. The studies about absorption of asphalt by aggregates showed that the smaller the asphalt film thickness the greater the asphalt absorption. The results also showed that HMA with the same asphalt content absorb similar amounts of asphalt, although the necessary time to complete the absorption is directly proportional to the asphalt viscosity (temperature).

Asphalt mixture compaction is an important procedure of asphalt mixture construction and can significantly affect the performance of asphalt pavement. Many laboratory compaction methods (or devices), have been developed to study the asphalt mixture compaction. Nevertheless, the whole process from the selection of aggregate to laboratory compaction is still time-consuming and requires significant human and material resources. In order to better understand asphalt mixture compaction, some researchers began to use finite element method (FEM) to study and analyze mixture compaction. However, FEM is a continuum approach and lacks the ability to take into account the slippage and interlocking of aggregates during compaction. Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a discontinuum analysis method, which can simulate the deformation process of joint systems or discrete particle assembly under quasi-static and dynamic condition. Therefore, it can overcome the shortcomings of FEM and is a more effective tool than FEM to simulate asphalt mixture compaction. In this study, an open source 3D DEM code implemented with the C++ programming language was modified and applied to simulate the compaction of hot-mix asphalt (HMA). A viscoelastic contact model was developed in the DEM code and was verified through comparison with well established analytical solutions. The input parameters of the newly developed contact model were obtained through nonlinear regression analysis of dynamic modulus test results. Two commonly used compaction methods (Superpave gyratory compaction and asphalt vibratory compaction) and one linear kneading compaction based on APA machine were simulated using the DEM code, and the DEM compaction models were verified through the comparison between the DEM predicted results and the laboratory measured test results. The air voids distribution within the asphalt specimens was also analyzed by post processing virtual DEM compaction digital specimens and the level of heterogeneity of the air void distribution within the specimens in the vertical and lateral directions was studied. The DEM simulation results in this study were in a relatively good agreement with the experimental data and previous research results, which demonstrates that the DEM is a feasible method to simulate asphalt mixture compaction under different loading conditions and, with further research, it could be a potentially helpful tool for asphalt mix design by reducing the number of physical compactions in the laboratory.

Extensive published literature shows that hydrated lime improves Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) durability. Its impact on the environmental impact of HMA has not been investigated. This paper presents a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the use of HMA without hydrated lime (classical HMA) and with hydrated lime (modified HMA) for the lifetime of a highway. System boundaries cover the life cycle from cradle-to-grave, meaning extraction of raw materials to end of life of the road. The main assumptions were: 1. Lifetime of the road 50 years; 2. Classical HMA with a life span of 10 years, maintenance operations every 10 years; 3. Modified HMA with an increase in the life span by 25%, maintenance operations every 12.5 years. For the lifetime of the road, modified HMA has the lowest environmental footprint compared to classical HMA with the following benefits: 43% less primary total energy consumption resulting in 23% lower emissions of greenhouse gases. Partial LCAs focusing only on the construction and/or maintenance phase should be used with caution since they could lead to wrong decisions if the durability and the maintenance scenarios differ. Sustainable construction technologies should not only consider environmental impact as quantified by LCA, but also economic and social impacts as well. Avoiding maintenance steps means less road works, fewer traffic jams and hence less CO2 emissions.