The effects of base binder and styrene–butadiene–styrene structure on rutting resistance of polymer–nanocomposite asphalt mixture

Abstract

In recent years, the use of nano materials for improving various mechanical and performance-related properties of polymer-modified asphalt binders has been growing rapidly. However, few researches investigated the effects of base binder and styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) structure on rutting resistance of polymer-nanocomposite-modified asphalt mixtures. This study investigated the effect of polymer–nanocomposite modification, using two different penetration grade asphalt binders and two types of SBS, on rutting properties of asphalt mixtures. Rheological properties of modified binders, Marshall stability, resilient modulus, and rut depth in wheel-tracking tests were used to evaluate the rutting performance of the modified binders and mixtures. The results indicated that both base binder type and SBS structure had significant effect on rutting resistance of polymer-nanocomposite-modified asphalt mixtures.