Asphalt Concrete Modification with Plastomers: A Case Study Conducted 7 Years after Construction

Ever-increasing traffic loads, in addition to hot climates, have always been a challenge for both road pavement authorities and engineers. Technically, asphalt binder and concrete modifiers that generally increase the viscosity and provide higher resistance to permanent deformation have been the optimal choice. In this paper, the asphalt layers of a motorway constructed in 2015 were studied. In this pavement, a plastomeric polymeric compound and synthetic-cellulose composite fibers containing plastomeric polymers were used in its binder course and surface course, respectively. The higher performance of the mixtures containing the plastomeric additives allowed a thinner pavement. This study addressed a quality assurance and monitoring plan spanning 7 years, consisting of core mechanical tests, including stiffness moduli and strength tests, in situ structural analysis by means of a falling weight deflectometer (FWD), surface profile characterization by means of IRI and SCRIM, and experts’ visual inspections. Overall, the test results complied with the specifications, and no distress or failure was recorded after 7 years of being under service. This could indicate that plastomers and the dry method can be considered as reliable alternatives for high quality asphalt pavement production.

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