UTC 2022 Funding - Cycle 2 Research Projects

Project Number: CY2-UTEP-01
Project Title: Investigation of Hot Mix Asphalt Aging Effect on Mechanical Properties of Mixes Based on Their Binder Performance Results – Phase II
Performing Institution: University of Texas at El Paso
Principal Investigators: Imad Abdallah and Miguel A. Montoya
Proposed Start and End Date: 10/01/24 to 09/30/25
Project Description: This project is focused on developing a framework to estimate the fatigue behavior of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) by establishing correlations between the fatigue resistance of aged asphalt binders and mixtures. This research is an extension of the Cycle 1 project (or Phase I), which found a strong link between the fatigue cracking data of aged HMA and the fatigue parameters of binders recovered from oven-aged asphalt mixtures. The Cycle I study provided valuable insights into the impact of HMA aging on changes in binder performance, considering factors, such as RAP percentage, aggregate quality, rejuvenator dosage and type, and asphalt content. The data analysis revealed that asphalt binder parameters, including fatigue and Glover-Rowe, as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterization, can be linked to the mechanical performance of aged asphalt mixtures.

Phase II, proposed for Cycle 2, will focus on investigating the potential correlation among aging protocols, including asphalt binder and mixture aging, and pressurized methods. This will involve accelerating the aging process of asphalt mixtures using PAV equipment and optimizing the aging process of asphalt binder and mixtures by adjusting pressure. Oven aging typically requires at least five days to produce practical results. Phase II will consider pressurized aging protocols to determine if a similar correlation of rheological and chemical results can be obtained in a shorter time, either through binder or asphalt mixture aging. Conventional and pressurized aging methods have been established in previous research. This research focuses on determining how accelerated aging methods can be leveraged to produce reliable results for implementation.
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