Performance Evaluation of Asphalt Concrete using Binder (Rock Wool) as a Modifier

Abstract

Transportation infrastructure plays a key role in the everyday life of social beings. For its design, highway agencies focus on appropriate and cost-effective design technique s for this purpose Engineers are carrying research on Rock Wool Fiber to introduce it as a Pavement modifier in Market. The use of RWF will not only reduce the use of our natural resources but also help in using the waste materials (i.e., slag from steel mill) for a useful purpose, meeting economic and environmental friendly needs of a country. Pavements over time gets damaged by rutting, fatigue, moisture susceptibility render it unusable for vehicles. Therefore, it is needed to have such design which are cost effective and environment friendly. The use of Rock wool Fiber acts as a distinct part in achieving national prosperity. This project is based on evaluating the performance of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) by using different contents of Rock Wool fiber as an additive in Asphalt Concrete. NHA gradation B, PARCO grade 60/70 Bitumen and RWF from INCOM ROCKWOOL LTD Karachi were used in this study. Penetration, Ductility and Temperature testing were done on virgin bitumen. The RWF contents used were 0%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8% of Bitumen content. Performance testing was done after finding out the OBC, volumetric, stability and flow of AC mixtures. Using those OBC and adding RWF as an additive in bitumen, different samples were formed and tested for evaluation and compared with the performance testing results of AC mixtures without RWF. Moisture Susceptibility Test using Universal Testing Machine (UTM) was performed for performance evaluation.