Delivering Sustainable Solutions through Improved Mix and Structural Design Functions for Bitumen Stabilised Materials

Abstract

The evolution of cold recycling using bitumen stabilisation technology has been supported by progressive research initiatives and best practice guidelines. The first generic guidelines for bitumen stabilised materials (BSMs) were published only in 2002. These guidelines provided a generic approach for the analysis of foamed bitumen and bitumen emulsion technologies. From that point, bitumen stabilisation became the common term for the inclusion of either of the two bituminous binders. The TG2 2nd edition guideline of 2009 took a bold step recognising the shear properties of the bitumen stabilised material (BSM) as the key performance indicators. In addition, advancements in structural design and application of BSMs provided practitioners with robust guidelines. The subsequent decade has provided an opportunity to interrogate data from more than 300 BSM mix designs and 69 LTPP sections. The data have led to research developments including significant new performance properties of BSMs, refined mix design methods, and updated new pavement design methods. This includes an entire design process that has been updated with a streamlined mix design procedure and a new frontier curve for the pavement number design method, as well as a new mechanistic design function. It is anticipated that the research findings and implementation of the newly developed technology will lead to improved application in BSM technology.