Utilization of Rice Straw Ash for Sustainable Asphalt Concrete: Experimental and Mechanistic Analysis
摘要
Road pavement is designed with appropriate materials, quality, and methods to provide optimal performance. Numerous improvements exist to enhance road pavement performance, one of which involves the modification of the wearing course (AC-WC). The materials employed are cost-effective and eco-friendly, including rice straw ash. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of rice straw ash as a filler substitute in the AC-WC pavement mixture on Marshall characteristics, elastic modulus, and stress–strain using the KENPAVE program for mechanistic-empirical analysis. The replacement levels of rice straw ash applied were 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% of the total filler weight. The Marshall test findings revealed that with an OAC of 6%, the highest stability value of 1763.7 kg was achieved at a 25% replacement level of rice straw ash. The maximum modulus of elasticity recorded was 818,617.02 psi for the second test specimen, with a 25% replacement of rice straw ash. The data utilized for analysis with the KENPAVE program yielded a horizontal tensile strain of − 1.621 × 10–4, a vertical compressive strain of 5.181 × 10–4, and a design life of 14.74 years. The study proved that suitable quantities of rice straw ash can enhance the performance of AC-WC pavement layers in road pavements.