Evaluation of Warm-Recycled Asphalt Mixtures using Polyethylene Wax-Based Additive

PURPOSES : The main purposes of this study are to examine the influences of polyethylene wax-based WMA additive on the optimum asphalt content of warm-recycled asphalt mixture based on the Marshall mix design and to evaluate performance of warm-recycled asphalt mixture containing 30% RAP with polyethylene wax-based WMA additive. METHODS: Physical and rheological properties of the residual asphalt were evaluated in terms of penetration, softening point, ductility and performance grade (PG) in order to examine the effects of polyethylene wax-based WMA additive on the residual asphalt. Also, To evaluate performance characteristics of the warm-recycled asphalt mixtures using polyethylene wax-based WMA additive along with a control hot-recycled asphalt mixture, indirect tensile strength test, modified Lottman test, dynamic immersion test, wheel tracking test and dynamic modulus test were conduced in the laboratory. RESULTS : Based on the limited laboratory test results, polyethylene wax-based WMA additive is effective to decrease mixing and compacting temperatures without compromising the volumetric characteristics of warm-recycled asphalt mixtures compared to hot-recycled asphalt mixture. Also, it doesn`t affect the optimum asphalt content on recycled-asphalt mixture. All performance test results show that the performance of warm-recycled asphalt mixture using polyethylene wax-based WMA additive is similar to that of a control hot-recycled asphalt mixture. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the performance of warm-recycled asphalt mixture using polyethylene wax-based WMA additive is comparable to hot-recycled asphalt mixture.