Maurizio Bocci

Compactability and thermal sensitivity of cement–bitumen-treated materials

Full-depth reclamation is one of the most used rehabilitation methods for subbase courses in high-traffic roads. The use of both cement and bituminous binders as binding agents for reclaimed pavement materials can lead to mixtures having high bearing capacity and resistance to permanent deformation, avoiding premature cracking due to shrinkage. This article focuses on two main topics: compactability and thermal sensitivity of cement–bitumen-treated materials (CBTMs). The dosage of liquids in CBTMs is a key parameter in order to obtain an effective compaction. The volumetric characteristics and the optimum liquid content of CBTMs were studied by means of two compaction methods: Proctor and Shear Gyratory Compactor. The temperature susceptibility of CBTMs can be a valuable factor in both design and construction quality control. The influence of temperature on the stiffness modulus of CBTMs was investigated using two testing methods: indirect tensile stiffness modulus and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV). While ITSM provided reference modulus values at strain levels and rates typical of traffic loads, UPV was used to estimate Youngs modulus at very low strain levels and high frequencies.

Full-depth reclamation for the rehabilitation of local roads: a case study

Full-depth reclamation (FDR) techniques for pavement construction and rehabilitation have gained general recognition because of their technical, economical and environmental advantages. The use of cement–bitumen-treated material (CBTM) has rapidly increased over the last 10 years mainly in motorways. Public administrations have recognised the advantages of FDR, and this technique has also begun to be applied for the rehabilitation of local and/or rural roads. This paper shows the results from a trial section built to verify the suitability of FDR for the rehabilitation of local roads. The design planned the in situ stabilisation with styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS)-modified bituminous emulsion and cement of hot mix asphalt and foundation course. The mechanical characteristics of CBTM were evaluated by means of stiffness modulus tests at different temperatures and fatigue tests. The obtained results offer good prospects for the application of FDR in the maintenance project of local roads.

Laboratory characterisation and field validation of geogrid-reinforced asphalt pavements

In order to improve the mechanical properties of pavements, reinforcement systems can be employed in asphalt layers. However, the presence of a grid at the interface causes an interlayer de-bonding effect. Moreover, a real challenge is related to the proper in situ installation of grids. The present research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of pavement rehabilitation with fibreglass geogrids. To this purpose, a real-scale field trial was constructed and monitored through Falling Weight Deflectometer measurements. Interface shear tests and flexural tests were also carried out on double-layered samples prepared in the laboratory reproducing real-scale field trial characteristics. Moreover, shear tests were also performed on in situ cored specimens. Results mainly showed that a proper installation of the reinforcement is fundamental in order to obtain suitable test results and good pavement performance.

Synthesis of standards and procedures for specimen preparation and in-field evaluation of cold-recycled asphalt mixtures

The use of recycled asphalt (RA) materials in pavement rehabilitation processes is continuously increasing as recycling techniques, such as cold recycling (CR), are being utilised in increasing magnitude and greater awareness for use of recycled materials and consideration of sustainable practices is becoming common in the construction industry. The focus of this paper is on developing a state of the art and state of the practice summary of processes used for classification of RA as well as the curing and specimen preparation practices for cold-recycled asphalt mixtures. A variety of topics were explored through an exhaustive literature search, these include RA production methods, definition of RA materials, stockpiling practices, industrial operations, specimen curing and preparation practices and in-field evaluation of cold-recycled rehabilitation. This paper was developed through efforts of CR task group (TG6) of RILEM Technical Committee on Testing and Characterization of Sustainable Innovative Bituminous Materials and Systems (TC-237 SIB).

Curing and temperature sensitivity of cement–bitumen treated materials

In the present study, the curing process of cement–bitumen treated materials (CBTM) was investigated by analysing the influence of cement dosage and curing temperature on moisture loss and evolution of complex modulus. Moreover, the study aimed to characterise the thermo-rheological behaviour of cured CBTM. Results showed that moisture loss by evaporation controls the increase in stiffness of the mixtures. However, excessive evaporation can hinder the full potential of the cement hydration process. Results also showed that the quantitative effects of curing time and loading frequency on stiffness can be superposed. Similar to hot-mix asphalt, CBTM showed a viscoelastic and thermo-dependent response. In particular, results suggested that at higher frequencies, the iso-thermal viscoelastic response is mainly affected by the aged binder whereas, at lower frequencies, the response of the mixtures depended mainly on the behaviour of the fresh binder.

The evolution of the mechanical behaviour of cold recycled mixtures stabilised with cement and bitumen: field and laboratory study

Road construction and maintenance involve huge amounts of materials that can include wastes from the demolition of old asphalt pavements. Recycling allows environmental and economic benefits to be achieved, by reducing the consumption of natural resources. These advantages are maximised with cold-recycling, in particular when full depth reclamation (FDR) is adopted as road rehabilitation technique. The aim of this research was to compare different FDR techniques, which produce cement-treated material and cement–bitumen treated material (CBTM) combining the use of cement and bitumen emulsion or foamed bitumen. The FDR was applied in a trial section built along an in-service highway and monitored with annual falling weight deflectometer (FWD) surveys in order to evaluate the performance evolution. Results highlighted that, because of the effect of temperature, the FWD deflections were not suitable to accurately evaluate the evolution of the mechanical behaviour of the cold recycled mixture (CRM) layers. However, the temperature-corrected FWD moduli allowed to conclude that the performance of the CRM layers was similar.

The Effect of Curing on the Mechanical Behavior of Cement-Bitumen Treated Materials

The re-use of pavement materials is an efficient and cost-effective solution in road rehabilitation and construction activities, especially when the availability of high-quality virgin aggregates is limited. In this context, cold recycling of bituminous pavements is becoming one the of most attractive and low environmental impact techniques. The use of cold-recycled pavement mixtures requires a careful assessment of their mechanical properties, which are influenced by both compositional and environmental factors. In particular, regardless of aggregate nature, binder type and dosage, a distinctive feature of cold recycled mixtures is the requirement for a certain curing period to develop the ultimate values of strength and stiffness. In this study, the mechanical behaviour of cement-bitumen treated materials (CBTM), containing high percentage of reclaimed asphalt (RA), was evaluated considering the influence of curing time and temperature. Two CBTM containing 1.0 and 2.5 % cement and 2.0 % of fresh bituminous binder were analyzed. Cylindrical specimens were compacted using a gyratory compactor and cured at 25 and 40 °C; moisture loss and indirect tensile strength (ITS) were measured at increasing curing times. Results showed that the curing temperature and time (curing conditions) significantly affect the moisture loss by evaporation that therefore can be considered a good estimator of the curing process. Moreover, the mechanical characterization indicated that the moisture loss and the cement content control the increase in strength properties of the investigated CBTM. Results also showed that the cement content strongly affects the moisture loss in addition to assure improved mechanical behavior.

Evaluation of mechanical performance of cement–bitumen-treated materials through laboratory and in-situ testing

Nowadays, cold recycling is considered as a common road construction/maintenance technique and no longer as an alternative technique to the traditional ones. The difficulties in simulating the production and construction processes in laboratory have led researchers to practise full-scale testing of mixtures. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanical performance of a cement–bitumen-treated materials (CBTMs) containing 80% of reclaimed asphalt. After a preliminary mix design, the mixture was produced in a mix plant and laid down on two trial sections with different layer thicknesses (15 and 20 cm) over a homogeneous subgrade. The mixture was sampled before laying, compacted and characterised through indirect tensile test and indirect tensile stiffness modulus test. The same tests were carried out on cores taken from the trial sections. Light weight deflectometer and falling weight deflectometer surveys were performed on the trial sections to evaluate the performances of the CBTMs.

Runway Pavement Reconstruction with Full Material Recycling: The Case of the Airport of Treviso

This technical paper shows the innovative approach used in the rehabilitation of the runway of the airport of Treviso. Treviso is located in North Italy and lies about 40 km far from Venice. For this reason, the airport of Treviso may be considered the second airport of Venice and receives the low-cost companies. In order to minimize the environmental impact of the rehabilitation project, the materials coming from the demolition of the old runway pavement were completely recycled in the new runway pavement. Several recycling techniques were used such as the cement stabilization of soil, cement treatment of milled cement concrete and cement-bitumen treatment of reclaimed asphalt. This paper shows the technical application of scientific knowledge on pavement recycling developed in Italy in the last decade.

Cold Recycling of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavements

Pavement engineers have in front of them multiple challenges linked to addressing issues related to social development and society’s expanding needs. One of the most substantial of these issues is perhaps how to effectively rehabilitate and/or maintain the existing road network while preserving and sustaining limited natural resources. The re-usage of existing pavement materials to reconstruct/rehabilitate our future pavements is the solution that is now more and more selected by the different road administrations around the world. However, upon closer inspection, one can find many areas and details, not negligible issues, that are simply extensions of HMA technology (i.e. mix design process in cold recycling) or empirical arrangements; in particular RAP still does not have an internationally recognized classification. So SIB – TG6 decided to develop a classification protocol of RAP, depending on its intended application. The objective has been followed by considering the procedures generally utilized to classify the natural aggregates: tests able to identify the main components (i.e. the geometrical and mechanical properties of aggregates and the characterization of recovered bitumen for RAP) and provide information on their behaviour under specific conditions, near to real life usage (e.g. the Los Angeles test for aggregates gives an idea of the potential behaviour of aggregates under the action of a roller compactor). The following sections illustrate and explain the actions of the TG in order to achieve the goals outlined above: the review of current standards, the protocol designed to classify RAP and the round robin tests carried out to validate the protocol.