Performance Assessment of High Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Asphalt Mixtures with Recycling Agents

Abstract

The increased use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in asphalt mixtures has promoted the use of recycling agents (RAs) to mitigate the effect of oxidized materials on the performance of asphalt mixtures. This laboratory-based study assesses the linear viscoelastic (LVE), cracking resistance, and permanent deformation properties of recycled asphalt mixtures containing RAs. The dosage levels used for this study were determined based on the manufacturer’s recommendation to restore the blended binder system’s low-temperature performance grade (PGL) to −22°C. The study found that blending a performance grade (PG) 64-22 virgin binder with RAs in high RAP mixtures can yield a comparable LVE response to high RAP mixtures designed using a softer binder (PG 58-28). Moreover, the study revealed that the cracking performance of high RAP mixtures could be improved without jeopardizing the rutting potential of the material by using RAs at dosage levels selected to yield a blended binder PGL of −22°C.