Performance assessment of full depth asphalt pavements manufactured with high recycled asphalt pavement content

Abstract

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is generated during road rehabilitation and resurfacing projects. This highly valuable recycled material should be used for manufacturing fresh hot mix asphalt (HMA) for new asphalt pavement layers to ensure the highest added value and minimise environmental impact. The use of RAP is already common practice worldwide; however, incorporating RAP into the manufacturing of HMA is still very minimal in Hungary. As part of a research work HMA containing 20-50% RAP was designed, manufactured and tested. This paper discusses the performance tests carried out on laboratory and plant mixed asphalt mixes; using this data the overall full depth asphalt (FDA) pavement performance was predicted through general mechanistic pavement design. The outcomes of this paper showed that high RAP content asphalt mixes can have superior performance; this disproves the common perception that high RAP mixes are substandard road construction materials. The analysis performed in this paper found that asphalt mixes with high RAP content present low risk for in-situ performance. However, in order to achieve this outcome, the application of correct mix design methodology, appropriate RAP management and suitable asphalt plant capability for mass production are paramount.