Incorporating Residues for Sustainable Road Pavement Construction: An Analysis of Asphalt Mixtures with Dolomite, Limestone, Fly Ash, and Red Mud
摘要
The pursuit of sustainability within the construction industry has led to innovative approaches in materials engineering, particularly in road pavement construction. This paper explores the utilization of industrial by-products and mineral fillers—specifically red mud (RM), limestone (LS), dolomite (DL), and fly ash (FA)—as substitutes for conventional fillers in asphalt mixtures. Various proportions of these fillers were incorporated into asphalt, following the Superpave mix design guidelines. The selection of filler percentages was strategically aligned with both the theoretical framework of optimal filler-to-asphalt ratios and regulatory limits on filler content. This approach takes into account the potential for large-scale application in countries like Brazil, a major producer of Red Mud. A comprehensive materials characterization has been carried out, including physical, chemical, and performance properties. The asphalt mixtures mechanical performance was evaluated through a series of tests designed to assess their suitability for road pavement applications. These tests included the Semi-Circular Bending test (SCB), Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST), and Wheel Tracking test (WTT), providing insights into the mixtures' crack resistance, thermal cracking resistance, and rutting resistance, respectively. The findings reveal that the incorporation of Red Mud and Fly Ash enhances the adhesion properties between bitumen and aggregate, with notable improvements in bitumen coverage. The mixture with Fly Ash demanded higher amounts of bitumen, which has led to higher permanent deformation results. On the other hand, mixtures utilizing Dolomite and Limestone powders exhibited superior performance in the WTT, suggesting their potential applicability in high-traffic roads. The TSRST results underscored Red Mud's satisfactory performance, attributed to its granulometry and the stiffness it given to the mixture.