Effect of waste steel shavings on strength characteristics of compacted cold mix asphalt

Traditional hot mix asphalt for pavements has a high carbon footprint, necessitating cleaner alternatives like cold mix asphalt (CMA) with strong mechanical performance. Cementitious fillers improve CMA properties, while waste steel shavings further enhance them for more durable pavements. Accordingly, this study was aimed at exploring the influence of waste steel shavings on the mechanical response of the compacted CMA. The fine aggregate was replaced by waste steel shavings in five variations ranging from 10% to 50% by weight of the fine aggregate. The specimens were prepared in accordance with the requirements brought out for the Marshall Stability tests, given in American Specification ASTM D6927-06 (2015). The mix design conforming to Indian Standard IRC: SP-100 (2014) was adopted in the current study. Unreinforced specimens with no steel shavings were also prepared to serve as benchmark specimens for better interpretation of results. Three types of tests, namely, Marshall stability test, indirect tensile strength test and resilient modulus test, were carried out. Comparison of unreinforced and reinforced specimens revealed that incorporating waste steel shavings significantly improves CMA’s mechanical properties. The optimal fine aggregate replacement with shavings for maximum performance was identified as 30%.