Evaluation of the physical properties of asphalt binder modified with polymeric waste from the footwear industry

The modification of Petroleum Asphalt Cement (PAC) with industrial waste is an innovative strategy that seeks to mitigate the environmental impacts of industrial activities and the paving industry. By incorporating these wastes, not only is the need for extraction of natural resources reduced, but the properties of the asphalt binder are also improved, providing a sustainable and efficient solution for the asphalt paving industry. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of PAC 50/70 modified with Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) from a footwear industry and its viability in road paving. The methodology consisted of adding the waste to PAC at concentrations of 1%, 2% and 3% followed by laboratory tests on both pure asphalt and modified variants (CAP01, CAP02 and CAP03). The results obtained showed that the modified binder exhibited higher viscosity and penetration levels when compared to the conventional binder, demonstrating an improvement in homogeneity and adhesiveness between the aggregate and the binder, compared to the reference mixture.