PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF SUSTAINABLE ASPHALT SYSTEMS INCORPORATING SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

Ausmita Sarker

The growing demand for sustainable pavement infrastructure has increased interest in incorporating recycled materials such as plastics and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) into asphalt systems. Their incorporation can significantly affect rutting resistance, cracking behavior, viscoelastic response, and long-term pavement performance. This thesis assessed the performance of plastics and RAP-modified asphalt systems at the binder, mixture, and structural levels through rheological, mechanical, fracture, and creep-based evaluations. An innovative approach involving pyrolysis and oxidation was introduced to lower the melting temperature of polypropylene (PP) plastic and incorporate it into the binder at high application rates. Rheological properties and storage stability tests were conducted to assess the performance of PP-modified binders. Another study investigated how different introduction methods of polyethylene (PE) into asphalt mixtures can influence the rutting and cracking performance under plant and laboratory conditions. The findings indicated the importance of plant production conditions and material interaction. A creep-based approach was further proposed to simultaneously evaluate the rutting and cracking behavior of RAP-modified asphalt mixtures. The incorporation of RAP enhanced rutting resistance, affecting the viscoelastic and fracture response of the mixtures. Additionally, crack filling was evaluated as a reflective crack mitigation strategy where the interfacial interaction between the filling material and virgin binder improved cracking resistance. Overall, this research demonstrated that recycled plastics and RAP can be effectively incorporated into asphalt systems to support sustainable pavement construction. However, their performance depends on the incorporation method, dosage, and material interaction. The findings contribute to the development of durable, economical, and sustainable asphalt systems.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF SUSTAINABLE ASPHALT SYSTEMS INCORPORATING SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

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