Investigation of the Performance of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Asphalt Mixture

Abstract

This study is focused on the effect of basalt fiber on the road performance of the asphalt mixture. The road performance of asphalt mixture with different dosages of basalt fiber was comprehensively evaluated using Marshall Stability test, the wheel tracking test, the three-point bending beam test and the freezing-thaw splitting test. The road performance of lignin fiber reinforced asphalt mixture and polyester fiber reinforced asphalt mixture also were tested to compare with the road performance of basalt fiber reinforced asphalt mixture. The results showed that basalt fiber can enhance mechanical properties, the low-and high-temperature performance and water sensitivity of the asphalt mixture significantly. Considering the road performance and economic benefits, the appropriate dosage of basalt fiber is about 0.3%. Marshall Stability (MS), dynamic stability (DS), the maximum bending strain and the tensile strength ratio (TSR) of asphalt mixture with 0.3% basalt fiber were increased by 19.6%, 25.5%, 22.2% and 6.0%, respectively. Basalt fiber has certain advantages in improving the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixture by comparison with lignin fiber and polyester fiber.