Evaluation of Rutting Resistance in Nano-Polymer Modified Hot Mix Asphalt Mixtures
摘要
Pavement structures face distress from traffic and environmental influences, prompting research on modified asphalt mixtures to improve mechanical properties. Prior investigations have mostly examined polymers or nanomaterials separately, frequently at the binder level. Limited studies have considered multi-component modification using various kinds of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and nano-silica (NS). This study addresses this gap by experimentally assessing hybrid nano-polymer-modified mixtures. The aim of this research is to assess how hot-mix asphalt (HMA) performs when SBS, micro-, and nanomaterials are added in accordance with the Superpave mix design process. In this investigation, 4% SBS in both powder (SBSP) and granular (SBSG) form, 5% NS, 5% micro-silica (MS), and 0.5% CNTs by mass of the asphalt binder were added separately to a base asphalt binder of PG 70-16 grade. Furthermore, mixtures including SBS with either NS, CNTs, or both, as well as a hybrid combination of NS with CNTs, were produced. The Superpave gyratory compactor (SGC) was used to select the design aggregate structure (DAS) and determine the optimum binder content (OBC). HMA mixtures were prepared with various modifiers at the OBC and using the DAS. The effects of various modifications on the characteristics of asphalt mixtures were examined using deformation strength (SD). The modified mixtures demonstrated significant enhancements in rutting resistance, with SD increasing from 6.33 MPa for the control mixture to 15.08 MPa for the (4%SBSP + 5%NS + 0.5%CNTs) blend. This represents a 138.2% improvement, confirming the superior performance of combined polymer-nanomaterials modification. The results establish that the proposed modifications substantially improve rutting resistance and contribute to more durable pavement.