Polymer Modified Bituminous Concrete Mixes with Additives: A Performance Optimization Approach

Abstract

For its users, an effective road transportation system offers a high degree of service. The most frequent and significant mode of inland transportation is thought to be roads. Development of the nation's infrastructure for asphalt roads is one of the key economic sectors. Modifiers that come in solid forms are typically used to modify asphalt. The use of such materials is restricted by high softening and melting temperatures, the long-term blending of polymers, rubbers, and latex with asphalt at high temperatures, and the phase separation of polymers from asphalt, in addition to the lack of locally available resources. As a result, PMBs are expensive. Asphalt is simple to mix with liquid polymers at a low temperature and for a brief period of time.The nation's road development plans, which will require significant resources in terms of money, labour, and materials, will focus not just on building new roads but also on enhancing and extending the life of the ones that already exist. Additionally, liquid polymers have been utilised to stabilise soil. In this work, a new modifier called Vinyl Acrylic Copolymer (liquid form) is used to create modified binder mixtures that are both cost-effective and high-performing and may be used to build and maintain asphalt roadways. Using 0.5 percent of a co-polymer of vinyl and acrylic acetate functional groups in liquid polymer-1, the objective of increasing bitumen characteristics is accomplished (LP1). Liquid polymers with bitumen binder have the benefit of being simple to combine with bitumen at a relatively low temperature. Improved compatibility of polymer with bitumen was obtained as there is no phase separation. To evaluate the impact of modification on the characteristics of VG-30, polymer modified asphalt composition was described in accordance with IRC: SP: 53-2010. According to the MoRTH 5th revision of 2013, LP-1 modified binder is used to prepare asphalt mixtures for B C grade 1. According to the Marshall method, VG-30 was used to make the job mix, and 5.3 (w/w mix) was found to be the ideal binder content. Marshall Samples were also made with modified binder at the same optimal binder level (i.e. 5.3%) for comparison studies. Different engineering and volumetric qualities, such as retained stability, tensile strength, tensile strength ratio (TSR), marshall stability, flow value, unit weight, and air voids, are determined to analyse the behaviour of traditional and modified bituminous mixes. According to the study, the binder qualities slightly increased, and as a result, bituminous mixes' mechanical properties, including retained stability, indirect tensile strength, and TSR, were also found to have improved. IRC SP-53, 2010, criterion was met by bituminous concrete (BC) mixes created with liquid polymer modified binders. With the addition of liquid polymer and fly ash, the performance of modified mixes was further enhanced, meeting the demands of high-performance characteristics including rutting, thermal cracking, and fatigue.