Performance Characteristics of Epoxy Modified Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC) By Post-doping Methods

To improve drainage properties and increase driver’s safety in wet weather, epoxy modified Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC) by post-doping methods was proposed. The predominant focus of this paper evaluated the performances of epoxy modified Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC) such as rutting resistance at high-temperature, crack resistance at low temperature, friction, moisture resistance and coefficient of permeability. For comparison, the same NMAS Open friction course with epoxy asphalt which was supplied courtesy of ChemCo Systems Ltd and SK High-Viscosity Asphalt were cited. In addition, the harsh construction requirements and application limitations caused by the residence time of epoxy asphalt were solved by the post-mixing process which was produced by two steps, First step, component B of epoxy asphalt was produced in the backyard plant, then suitable amount of component A was added and mixed evenly while paving in site, affecting the holding time only in the two links of paving and rolling, and the time was easy to control. The results show that epoxy modified Open graded friction Course reinforced with Basalt fiber produced by post-mixing methods has good friction resistance and permeability while retaining satisfactory performance and mechanical properties.

Pavement and Noise Reduction Performance of Open-Graded Asphalt Friction Course Improved by Waste Tire Crumb Rubber

To further reveal the road performance and noise reduction performance of open-graded friction course (OGFC), the crumb rubber prepared by adding waste tires were considered, and the performance requirements of the material were put forward. To avoid the influence of rubber particle swelling on aggregate, the special gradation and mix proportion of OGFC mixture were designed, and the particle size of 4.75 mm was proposed as the control size. The test results show that the aggregate forms a good embedded structure. The resilient modulus, deformation performance, and fatigue performance of R-OGFC asphalt mixture with different crumb rubber contents were studied. According to the test results, the rubber particle content under the best road performance and noise reduction effect was proposed. The results show that, after adding a certain amount of crumb rubber, the performance of asphalt mixture has been greatly improved, especially the dynamic stability has been improved by 84%. Although the resilient modulus has decreased by 10%, the creep performance has decreased by 37%, and the fatigue life has decreased by 31% (2% rubber content), the noise reduction can reach 3.6–8.6 dB, and the noise reduction performance is significant. This shows that the best content of rubber particles is between 1.5% and 2%, and the R-OGFC mixture modified by rubber has a good application prospect.

Investigation of the Formation Mechanism and Environmental Risk of Tire—Pavement Wearing Waste (TPWW)

Tire—pavement interaction behaviours result in large amounts of wearing waste matter, which attaches to the surface of the pavement and is directly exposed to the surrounding environment. This kind of matter imposes a great challenge to the environment of the road area. The current study is devoted to carrying out a comprehensive investigation of the formation mechanism of tire—pavement wearing waste (TPWW), as well as the resulting environmental risks. A self-developed piece of accelerated polishing equipment, the Harbin advanced polishing machine (HAPM), was employed to simulate the wearing process between vehicle tires and pavement surfaces, and the TPWW was collected to conduct morphological, physical, and chemical characterisations. The results from this study show that the production rate of TPWW decreases with the increase in polishing duration, and the coarse particles (diameters greater than 0.425 mm) account for most of the TPWW obtained. The fine fraction (diameter smaller than 0.425 mm) of the TPWW comprises variously sized and irregularly shaped rubber particles from the tire, as well as uniformly sized and angular fine aggregates. The environmental analysis results show that volatile alkanes (C9–C16) are the major organic contaminants in TPWW. The Open-Graded Friction Course (OGFC) asphalt mixture containing crumb rubber as a modifier showed the highest risk of heavy metal pollution, and special concern must be given to tire materials for the purpose of improving the environmental conditions of road areas. The use of polyurethane as a binder material in the production of pavement mixtures has an environmental benefit in terms of pollution from both organic contaminants and heavy metals.