Performance improvement of a crumb rubber modified bitumen using recycled glass powder

Abstract

In this study, the efficiency of bitumen and asphalt mixtures modified with crumb rubber (CR) and recycled glass powder (RGP) is evaluated. From an environmental point of view, the application of RGP in asphalt mixtures is considered beneficial since it prevents accumulation of waste glass in the natural environment. Rheological and mechanical properties of modified bitumen samples were investigated by laboratory methods such as bitumen conventional tests and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and also by asphalt mixture performance tests including Marshall stability, indirect tensile strength (ITS), compressive strength, and indirect tensile stiffness modulus. The results showed that the application of RGP in place of CR has no negative impact on the efficiency of bitumen and asphalt mixtures and even improves their engineering properties except for the toughness index (TI). Moreover, a modification with 5% CR and 5% RGP in asphalt mixtures results in the best overall performance. © 2013 Zhejiang University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.