Investigating the dynamic creep and the tensile performance of zeolitic tuff-modified warm asphalt mixtures

This study examines how incorporating natural Jordanian Zeolitic tuffs into SUPERPAVE asphalt mixtures affects their dynamic creep and indirect tensile performance.

Rutting and fatigue are common types of damage that affect roads worldwide. Many factors can influence these issues, such as the properties of the aggregates, grades and properties of the asphalt, and the type and amount of mineral filler used. Mineral fillers are crucial for improving the performance of asphalt mixtures by filling voids and enhancing binder cohesion due to their light weight and large surface area. Building roads that are durable over time has understandable benefits for transportation networks that depend on the routes involved.

Typically, limestone powder is the most commonly used filler, but various materials have shown success as fillers in studies. A team of researchers from Jordan and Egyot ettempted to test natural Jordanian Zeolitic tuff as a mineral filler. Jordanian zeolitic tuff primarily consists of Phillipsite, chabazite, and faujasite, which are abundant minerals in Zeolitic tuff. This pyroclastic material is widely found in the Badia region of northeast Jordan, specifically in locations such as Jabal Aritayn, Tlul AlShahba, Tal Al-Rimah, and other smaller deposits in central and southern Jordan.

This research aimed to investigate how Zeolitic tuffs affect the overall performance of Superpave asphalt mixtures.

The researchers prepared the specimens using the optimal asphalt content determined through the SUPERPAVE method. We utilized the Dynamic Testing System DTS-16 to perform dynamic creep and indirect tensile tests, providing insights into the rutting and fatigue behavior of asphalt mixtures. Both tests were carried out at a temperature of 25 °C.

The asphalt mixtures modified with Zeolitic tuffs exhibit lower accumulated strains and higher creep stiffness compared to the control mixture. Additionally, the results of the indirect tensile test indicate that the modified asphalt mixtures have a higher resilient modulus than the control asphalt mix. Overall, incorporating Zeolitic tuffs as a modifier for asphalt mixtures improves their resistance to rutting and fatigue. Specifically, asphalt mixtures enhanced with 25% Zeolitic tuffs demonstrate superior rutting resistance, while those enriched with 50% Zeolitic tuffs show outstanding fatigue resistance performance.

The asphalt mixture showed the most favorable dynamic creep performance when 25% Zeolitic tuffs were added based on the mass of the mineral filler. Similarly, the highest resilient modulus was achieved when 50% Zeolitic tuffs were added based on the mass of the mineral filler.

Read the research in The Open Transport5ation Journal here; https://bit.ly/4akmumz