Evaluation of rutting properties of bituminous binders by means of single shear creep-recovery (Sscr) tests and correlation with mixture performance

Abstract

One of the main distresses affecting asphalt pavements is rutting, which originates from the accumulation of permanent deformation caused by traffic loading. In order to prevent such a phenomenon, binders employed for the production of bituminous mixtures need to be selected by taking into account their temperature- and time-dependent behavior. In the experimental investigation presented in this paper, single shear creep-recovery (SSCR) tests were used to evaluate rutting properties of bituminous binders, of the unmodified and polymer-modified type, at various temperatures. Experimental results were compared with those derived from Flow Number (FN) tests carried out on bituminous mixtures prepared by employing the same binders. Analysis of experimental data revealed the existence of a strong correlation between rutting parameters of binders and permanent deformation response of mixtures. It was thus confirmed that the proposed testing procedure can be adopted for the evaluation of the rutting potential of bituminous binders and for their consequent performance-related ranking.