The adhesion between aggregate and asphalt binder in dry conditions, and the amount of its reduction in wet conditions are amongst fundamental indicators that moisture sensitivity amount of asphalt mixtures is dependent to. Among different methods to increase adhesion, modification of aggregates surface with anti-stripping materials is known as an effective method. Therefore, the effect of covering aggregates surface with micronized calcium carbonate as a proper and inexpensive anti-stripping material was investigated. Accordingly, in order to evaluate mixes, first, mechanical methods were used, and then thermodynamic methods were employed to determine the mechanism of the effect of calcium carbonate on increasing asphalt mix resistance to moisture damage. In order to conduct this research, three types of aggregates including limestone, granite, and quartzite, for their different degrees of hydrophilic, and two types of asphalt binder 60–70 and 85–100 were used to produce mixtures. Results obtained by mechanical methods show that modification of aggregates surface causes an increase in the tensile strength ratio (TSR) in the samples made by both two types of asphalt binder. In addition, results of surface free energy method indicate the increase of adhesion energy (except in granite samples) and reduction of debonding energy in all modified samples. Generally, evaluations conducted by the use of both methods show that covering aggregates by micronized calcium carbonate has a positive effect on reducing moisture sensitivity of asphalt mixes.
One of the most common damages in asphalt mixes is the destructive effect of moisture on the binder cohesion and binder–aggregate adhesion which is called moisture damage. There are various methods to improve adhesion and reduce moisture damage in asphalt mixes. The most common of them is using an appropriate additive for binder modification. Accordingly, the current research was conducted to investigate the effect of two nanomaterials (Nano CuO, and Nano SnO2) in 2 different percentages on 2 types of aggregates (granite and limestone) and a type of base binder. In order to investigate the effect of nanomaterials, indirect tensile cyclic loading (the same as resilient modulus test) in dry and wet conditions and surface free energy (SFE) method were used. The moisture sensitivity indicator which shows stripping percentage of aggregate surface in loading cycles using SFE results and indirect tensile cyclic loading, has been considered as the moisture sensitivity indicator in this research. Results of mechanical tests used in this research show that nanomaterials have significantly increased asphalt mixes strength in comparison to control specimens. Results obtained from SFE method show that nanomaterials increase the cohesion free energy; this change causes a reduction in the possibility of failure in binder membrane. Additionally, nanoparticles have increased and reduced basic component and acidic component of SFE, respectively. This leads to improvement of their adhesion with acidic aggregates, which is sensitive to moisture damage.
Several parameters affect asphalt mix performance against loading and environmental conditions. Minor changes in the filler amount or type can cause obvious changes in the asphalt mixture properties. Accordingly, in this research attempts have been made to optimally make asphalt mixture strong against loading and environmental conditions by changing the type, size and percentage of filler used in asphalt mixture. In this line, the effect of two types of cement and nano-silica fillers in two different percentages was investigated and compared as an alternative for part of the main filler in asphalt mixture samples made by two types of limestone and granite aggregate. Cement filler by 2% and 4% of the aggregate mass as the alternative for part of the main filler is added to stone materials before mixing with binder, but nano-silica filler by 2% and4 % of weight of the binder as the alternative for part of the main filler is added to binder and a modified and homogeneous binder is produced using a high speed mixer. In the following, considering the optimum binder content for each mixture, resilient modulus tests were conducted to determine the strength performance against loading and indirect tensile strength ratio was used to determine moisture sensitivity of asphalt mixtures. Results obtained from resilient modulus tests show that the use of nano-silica and cement has been capable of favorably improving the resilient modulus of samples containing these two types of fillers. The improvement of the resilient modulus of samples containing nano-silica is very significant. Additionally, the studies conducted based on the indirect tensile strength ratio show that both types of alternative fillers, especially cement has been capable of desirably improve the strength of asphalt mixtures against moisture damage.
In the current research attempts have been made to investigate the effect of various fillers on the resistance to mastic failure using mechanical and thermodynamic methods. Two types of granite and limestone aggregates with acidic and basic characteristics were used, respectively. Besides, four types of filler including calcium carbonate, hydrated lime, Portland cement and stone powder and two types asphalt binder PEN 60-70 and PEN 85-100 were used. Calcium carbonate and hydrated lime had the most effect and Portland cement and stone powder had the least effect on strength reduction. In addition, the results obtained by modified Lottman test showed that the use of hydrated lime and calcium carbonate increased resistance to moisture damage. The results of correlation coefficients show the necessity of using the effect of filler on cohesion free energy calculation in the surface free energy to investigate cohesion failure in different asphalt mixtures.
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