Recycled Asphalt Pavement Trevor Distin

‘Trade in your old pavement for a new one’ Use of RAP in the USA USA produces +-100Mtpa of RAP ave of 17% RAP is recycled in HMA 23 States have experience with >25% RAP aim is to increase RAP in all mixes >25% still some perceptions that asphalt with RAP is inferior to all virgin material Main driver for using RAP is economics & sustainability has become the new driver NAPA reported that 25% RAP usage neutralise carbon foot print of HMA plant ‘Trade in your old pavement for a new one’

Obstacles to using > 20% RAP Concern over comingled binder properties Stiffening of binder could lead to early cracking Use of high % RAP may negate the benefit of using PMBs Durability of surface layers could lead to raveling Variability/consistency of RAP Lack of QC by contractor Meeting skid resistance requirements Two biggest obstacles in mix design: Binder characteristics 0.075mm fines

Benefits of using RAP RAP reduces potential of mix to rut Adding RAP stiffens the binder to a higher performance grade Substituting RAP for PMB was found to render same rutting performance Monitoring on 18 test sections up to 17 years with RAP showed pavements using >30% RAP are performing well Up to 40% RAP does not increase CV of HMA In some cases contractors found less variability in RAP than virgin aggregates

Summary of t-Test Analysis Distress Parameter Virgin Performed Better than RAP RAP Performed Better than Virgin Insignificant Difference Between RAP and Virgin RAP Performed Equal or Better Than Virgin IRI 42 39 19 58 Rutting 33 29 38 67 Fatigue Cracking 10 61 71 Longtnl. Cracking 15 75 85 Transverse Cracking 32 53 68 Block Cracking 3 1 96 97 Raveling 7 78 93

MS CA AB AL AZ TX MB NJ MN MD FL NM OK CO MT MO GA ME Did not use softer binder in RAP mixes

Variability: RAP vs. Aggregate Based on 74 RAP stockpiles in 14 states, and 60 Aggregate stockpiles in 6 states

Benefits of RAP to contractors Reduction in energy requirements to heat virgin agg & binders Hedge against rising bitumen prices & global uncertainty which can effect supply Reduces amount of virgin aggs & bitumen which reduces material costs

Differences by State Caltrans VDoT South Carolina North Carolina Can use up to 15% in WC without additional testing otherwise can increase to 30% No RAP allowed in OGA & BRA VDoT < 30% allowed in WC except SMA <20% < 35% in base South Carolina non fractionated RAP: <20% in WC & <30% in base Fractionated RAP: <25% in WC North Carolina <50% base <30% in WC if RAP screened through 25 mm sieve

New Approach Base max % RAP on net effect that RAP binder has on the properties of new mix Limiting factor will be determined by: recovered aged binder properties % binder in RAP i.e. 4 vs 7% depending on grading This means that you use double amount of coarse RAP vs fine RAP for same aged binder properties Typically 70% of binder must be virgin

Virgin binder class to use FHWA recommendations: <15% RAP: no change in binder grade <15 < 25%: bump to a the next softest grade >25%: use blending charts However studies have shown that: 20% RAP can be used without changing binder grade NCAT test sections show that up to 45% RAP there is no evidence to bump down a grade

Determining blended binder grade

Rutting performance @ 10 M ESALs

Keep millings from different projects in separate stockpiles Milled RAP Keep millings from different projects in separate stockpiles Milled RAP can typically be used “as is” in HMA without further crushing to save costs

Multi-Source RAP Stockpiles Avoid contamination from the beginning Mix it up while feeding the screen or crusher Don’t over crush Fractionation helps for design of high RAP mixes Watch the weather when processing Blend again when moving stockpiles 16

Fractionated RAP Screening RAP into two or more sizes 19 – 4.75mm RAP -4.75mm RAP +19mm RAP Screening RAP into two or more sizes Allows RAP to be used in practically any mix type Do not crush RAP to avoid producing fines. Only crush oversize RAP 17 17

Fractionating vs. non fractionating

Stockpiling RAP Building steep sided stockpiles will create segregation helps meet binder content & air voids in mix

Minimise moisture Cover stockpiles Sloped pavement underneath Free moisture in the RAP can cause caking of RAP in crushers and blinding of screens

Effect of moisture on heating

Testing of RAP Take samples daily from RAP stockpile 1 set of samples for 1000 tonnes of RAP Binder Content: ignition method is preferred Faster and more accurate For dolomitic aggregates use solvent extraction Grading especially % passing: 0.075mm sieve Median sieve Bulk SG Potential errors when calculating BSG 22 22

Effect of RAP Gsb on VMA Gsb Virgin = 2.6700 12.4 12.6 12.8 13.0 13.2 13.4 13.6 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 RAP Aggregate % VMA% 2.644 2.624

Other issues Where skid resistance is a concern use small sized RAP < 7mm Reduced mix temperature allows more RAP to be used Using higher % RAP in WMA helped increase temperature of bag house Aged binder on RAP works as an antistripping agent & improves TSR values

Other issues cont… Consensus was that you could increase upper limits for RAP for WMA before changing binder grade: < 25%: no change >25 < 35%: bump to softer grade > 35%: use blending charts Lower mixing temperature resulted in less oxidation & light oil remaining in virgin bitumen Steam produced from drying RAP creates inert atmosphere Recovered binder from WMA with 25% RAP has same rheological properties as recovered binder from HMA with virgin bitumen

Recommendations Optimise the use of RAP in asphalt mixes without compromising mix performance Valuable resource Engineered product Reduce cost of asphalt Reduce demand for non-renewable raw materials

Recommendations Develop guidelines for the inclusion of various % RAP into different application i.e. mixes and layers Procedures for processing & stock piling RAP Developed simplified procedures for evaluating RAP and binder properties for >30% RAP Determine effect of the properties of the aged binder and binder content of RAP on performance of mix specs

Proposal Dense graded wearing courses < 15% RAP >15%<30% Must fractionate RAP <NMAS >15%<30% Only if aged binder content <30% of new mix > 30% Only if binder viscosity of new mix < max RTFOT Subject to stringent process control & monitoring

Proposal Intermediate & base courses < 15% RAP >15%<30% Must screened but not necessary to fractionate into different sizes >15%<30% Must fractionate into different sizes > 30% Aged binder must be < 30% of new mix Subject to stringent process control & monitoring

Thank you