Investigation on the usability of pumice as fibre in stone mastic asphalt

Abstract

The stone mastic asphalt (SMA) is a type of asphalt surfacing for pavement structures that is normally used on roads destined to heavy vehicle traffic. Because SMA is a gap-graded hot mix asphalt, fibres should be used in order to prevent draining of bitumen between aggregate grains. Two types of fibres are used in SMA: cellulose fibres and mineral fibres. The paper investigates the usability of pumice as mineral fibre in SMA mixes. The obtained results show that pumice can be used in an appropriate proportion (4%) as an alternative to cellulose fibres in SMA mixes.