Performance of Bioasphalt Mixture Prepared Using Sugarcane Molasses: Laboratory and Field Application

Abstract The global emphasis on circular economy and sustainability has prompted researchers to adopt biorenewable materials in pavement construction. Bioasphalt, due to its renewability and cleaner production, has gained significant attention. The present study was aimed to evaluate the laboratory and field performance of bioasphalt mixture produced using sugarcane molasses (SM). A suite of performance tests were undertaken to study the permanent deformation characteristics (wheel rut tester), cracking resistance (Indirect tensile asphalt cracking test), moisture damage (modified Lottman test), and stiffness characteristics (resilient modulus). Results revealed that the bioasphalt mixture had lower accumulation of rut depth in comparison to control mixtures, indicating improved resistance against permanent deformation. The addition of SM resulted in increased flexibility of the bioasphalt mixture. Through modified Lottman test results, it was found that bioasphalt mixtures had adequate moisture resistance, surpassing the minimum requirement of 80% tensile strength ratio. The field trial execution encountered no challenges during construction. Preliminary field investigation revealed that the bioasphalt mixture had similar/slightly better performance in comparison to the conventional mixture.