MnROAD | NRRA | Structure & Teams | Preventive Maintenance Team
Use of Recycled Materials in Pavement Preservation
Status: In development
Objective
The research objectives are to:
- Evaluate the feasibility of using recycled materials in chip seals and slurry surfacing treatments
- Estimate the economic and environmental benefits of using recycled materials in the preservation treatments studied
- Develop a plan for future implementation.
To accomplish these objectives, the research team will conduct treatment designs for chip seals, slurry seals, and micro surfaces with and without recycled materials to determine the effect on design application rates. In addition, laboratory testing will be performed to evaluate the effect of the recycled materials on treatment durability, using procedures such as the sweep test (ASTM D7000), flexural tension test (ISSA TB 146), and macrotexture measurement with the circular texture meter (ASTM E2157) on specimens conditioned with the three-wheel polishing device (TWPD). The results will be used to quantify the potential environmental and economic benefits obtained from this practice. Finally, an implementation plan will be developed to guide future implementation efforts.
Tasks
Task 1: Literature and practice review
The research team will conduct a review of available documentation and unpublished resources that relate to the use of recycled materials in pavement preservation. Topics of interest include treatment design, specifications, construction, and performance.
- Deliverable: Memo report
Task 2: Develop experimental plan
Based on the results from Task 1, the research team will develop an experimental plan to determine the types and proportions of recycled materials to be evaluated, and select the sources for recycled and virgin materials to be used. Possible treatment designs include 100% RAP, rubber-modified asphalt emulsion, dry rubber particles as aggregate or filler, combinations of recycled materials with other additives, etc.
For each treatment type, the research team will recommend at least one design that incorporates recycled materials to be compared to an all-virgin materials design (control) with similar gradation/aggregate size.
- Deliverable: Proposed experimental plan for review and approval
Task 3: Conduct laboratory testing and data analysis
The research team will execute the work plan outlined in Task 2. The treatment designs will be conducted according to the following recently adopted AASHTO Standards:
AASHTO R 102 Standard Practice for Emulsified Asphalt Chip Seal Design
AASHTO R 103 Standard Practice for Micro Surfacing Design
AASHTO R 104 Standard Practice for Slurry Seal Design
Additional laboratory testing will be performed to evaluate the impact of the selected recycled materials on treatment durability by quantifying aggregate loss, change in macrotexture due to traffic, and cracking susceptibility.
The research team will also evaluate the potential economic and environmental benefits resulting from the use of the proposed recycled materials and relate them to the laboratory results to determine the overall feasibility of incorporating these materials. This analysis will take into account cost savings, reduction of virgin materials, and laboratory durability of the recycled treatments relative to the control designs.
- Deliverable: Summary and analysis of results
Task 4: Final report and implementation plan
The research team will prepare a final report documenting the entire research effort and project findings. The report will include an implementation plan that provides recommendations on how to effectively put the research findings into practice.
- Deliverable: Final report with implementation plan
Project team
Email the Project Team
Principal Investigator: Adriana Vargas, NCAT, vargaad@auburn.edu
Co-PI: Fabricio Leiva, Clemson University, fleivav@clemson.edu
Technical Liaison: Emil Bautista, Minnesota DOT, emil.bautista@state.mn.us
Project Technical Advisory Panel (TAP): Contact us to join this TAP
- Emil Bautista, MnDOT (TL)
- Ashley Buss, Iowa DOT
- Jason Dietz, FHWA
- Curt Dunn, NDDOT
- Chris Hollenback, HGR Lab
- Alex Middleton, Missippi DOT
- Joseph Podolsky, MnDOT
- Joel Ulring, MnDOT
- Stephanie Weigel, NDDOT
Related materials
- Initial idea proposal (PDF), 5/5/2023