Investigating the performance of asphalt pavements modified with reclaimed asphalt and crumb rubber

This research provides useful insights into sustainable and cost-effective pavement rehabilitation by evaluating the combined effects of both Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and Crumb Rubber (CR) modification on flexible pavement performance using actual motorway sections. Pavement rehabilitation and maintenance can enhance the design and serviceable life of the pavement. Additionally, modification of asphalt with Crumb Rubber (CR) and Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) not only proves to be economical but can also increase the resistance of flexible pavement concerning rutting, fatigue, and moisture damage. Four different pavement sections were selected, which were rehabilitated and modified with Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP), Crumb Rubber (CR), and a combination of both, along the Islamabad-Lahore motorway (M-2), Pakistan. The first pavement section consists of Asphalt Concrete Wearing Course (ACWC) with 60/70 grade bitumen as a binder (RAP 0%, CR 0%), the second pavement section was a mixture of asphalt concrete with crumb rubber modified bitumen as a binder (RAP0%, CR7%), the third pavement section was a blend of 15% RAP with 60/70 grade bitumen as a binder (RAP15%, CR 0%), the fourth section was a mixture of 15% RAP and 7% crumb rubber modified bitumen (RAP 15%, CR 7%). Pavement cores were extracted from the selected four pavement sections, which were experimentally explored in the laboratory to find the impact on the performance of highway pavement employing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and Crumb Rubber (CR), partially replacing bituminous binder in the asphalt. The results show notable improvements in rutting resistance, tensile strength, and resilience. It was concluded that the performance of the section employing either RAP, CR or combined RAP and CR modified bitumen better enhanced the performance of pavement in terms of rut depth, indirect tensile strength and modulus of resilience. For instance, rutting depth was reduced by 41.35% and indirect tensile strength of pavement was increased by 17.93% by employing 15% RAP and 7% CR in modified bitumen binder for asphaltic mix. Likewise, the modulus of resilience was increased by 38.23% for the section employing 15% RAP and 7% CR in pavement.