Estudio preliminar sobre el uso del material recuperado de pavimento asfáltico (RAP) en mezclas calientes.

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the need to generate a circular economy with regard to road construction materials. Because of this, the reuse of deteriorated asphalt pavements removed by milling the roads once they have completed their service life is promoted. The objective of the following work is to evaluate the fatigue and deformatio n behavior of hot asphalt mixtures made with variable RAP contents, by means of dynamic tests with NAT equipment, as well as the impact of water damage by means of retained indirect tensile strength, which will allow comparisons to be made and their possible behaviors to be assessed. For the study, an Ecuadorian base asphalt classified as AC-20, with and without rejuvenator, was used. In addition, as a starting point for the present investigation, a Marshall asphalt mix design provided by a local company was used, with crushed aggregates of alluvial origin. This design was mixed in percentages of 10 and 20% with a sample of RAP with known characteristics. Dynamic performance tests were applied to the 6 mixtures made with NAT equipment; stiffness modulus, uniaxial cyclic compression (Creep), fatigue and finally, water damage was evaluated by means of the TSR test. From the results obtained, it can be highlighted that the addition of RAP in low quantities in hot asphalt mixtures did not considerably alter their behavior, being exclusively the water damage parameter the one that suffered a negative impact. However, it should be mentioned that most of the requirements evaluated were established for conventional mixes, so that failure to comply with them does not condition the application of this type of mixes, for example, in second-order roads.