Laboratory Performance Evaluation of Warm-Mix Asphalt Containing High Percentages of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement

Abstract

This study evaluated the rutting resistance, moisture susceptibility, and fatigue resistance of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) mixtures containing high percentages of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) through laboratory performance tests. The WMA mixtures were plant produced with a foaming technology commonly used in the United States. RAP content ranged from 0% up to 50%. Laboratory performance tests included the asphalt pavement analyzer rutting test, the Hamburg wheel-tracking test, the tensile strength ratio test, the Superpave® indirect tension test, and the beam fatigue test. For comparison purposes, hot-mix asphalt mixtures containing 0% and 30% RAP were also evaluated and compared with WMA. The laboratory test results indicated that WMA mixtures with high percentages of RAP exhibited higher resistance to rutting, better resistance to moisture damage, and better fatigue performance.