Development of a New Additive Based on Textile Fibers of End-of-Life Tires (ELT) for Sustainable Asphalt Mixtures with Improved Mechanical Properties

Abstract

End-of-life tires (ELT) are a worldwide problem. Rubber, steel, and different textile fibers are the by-products of ELT. Unlike rubber and steel, waste tire textile fibers (WTTF) are disposed of in landfills or burned. This study developed an additive made with WTTF to be incorporated into conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA), and its performance properties were evaluated. First, a characterization of the WTTF used was made and a manufacture protocol was established. Then, a reference HMA was designed and mixtures with different addition percentages (2%, 5% and 8%) of the WTTF-based additive were evaluated. The mechanical properties studied were stiffness modulus, moisture susceptibility, rutting resistance, stripping, and cracking resistance. The results indicated that the addition of the 2% and 5% WTTF-based additive improved these performance properties. Moreover, all addition percentages of the WTTF-based additive evaluated demonstrated a decrease of over 29% in permanent deformation according to the Hamburg Wheel Tracking Test. Thus, the use of the WTTF would not only be valuing a waste, but an asphalt mixture with improved properties would be obtained, contributing to the circular economy by reusing a material and prolonging the useful life of the asphalt mixture.