Design of cold recycled mixes with asphalt emulsion and portland cement

Abstract

Recycling techniques are important tools for rehabilitation of old and deteriorated asphalt pavements. The production of cold recycled mixes using reclaimed asphalt pavement as aggregates provides economic benefits as it decreases transportation costs, energy consumption, and gas emissions. Despite that, there is no internationally accepted methodology to design this type of mix. The present research evaluated the design of cold recycled mixes through different compaction methods and varying asphalt emulsion and cement contents. Different curing temperatures and periods were analyzed to propose a faster and more practical method for mix design in the laboratory. Mechanical tests performed indicated that specimens compacted by the Marshall hammer provide similar results when varying asphalt emulsion and cement contents, while the Proctor hammer compaction was able to better capture the influence of these materials. The temperature of 60 °C associated with shorter curing time is believed to be good for design purposes.