Evaluation of the performance of warm asphalt mixture with Sasobit

Abstract The highway pavement construction industry has consistently attempted to promote the use of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) to encourage the construction of environmentally friendly pavement. This study aims to investigate the mechanical characteristics of warm asphalt mixtures that are made by utilizing modified asphalt binders containing different amounts of Sasobit. The base bitumen is modified with various percentages of Sasobit (3%, 4%, 5%, and 6%) of the weight of the bitumen by shear mixing. The rheological-physical characteristics of the base and enhanced asphalt binders were assessed using various tests such as: rotational-viscosity, softening point, and penetration tests. The stiffness, susceptibility to moisture, and resistance to rutting of the hot and warm mixes, made the binders are modified by using Sasobit, were assessed through Marshall characteristics, tensile strength, and punching shear tests. The findings demonstrated a significant enhancement in the rheological-physical characteristics of the modified binders. Findings revealed that the asphalt mixtures containing 5% Sasobi-modified binders exhibited more excellent resistance to both moisture damage and rutting in comparison to the control mixture.