Crumb Rubber and Epoxy Modified Bitumen for Flexible Pavement

Abstract

The Crumb Rubber Modified Asphalt (CRMA) presents several advantages, such as improved resistance to rutting and reflective cracking. However, its broader application is limited due to various significant concerns. These include the poor solubility of Crumb Rubber (CR) in asphalt, heightened viscosity with increased incorporation, and inadequate storage stability. To address these challenges, a hybrid methodology was embraced in this investigation, integrating Epoxy into CRMA. This approach aimed to strike a balance between stiffness and fluidity while optimizing the utilization of Epoxy and CR to diminish the reliance on base bitumen by maximizing waste material integration. Through laboratory-based experimentation, the modified asphalt mixtures' resilient modulus (MR) and Tensile Strength Ratio (TSR) were assessed. Adding epoxy to asphalt along with crumb rubber can enhance its effectiveness. Epoxy's adhesive properties are well-known for improving bonding between materials. When introduced to asphalt, it can facilitate better binding of crumb rubber particles, resulting in overall performance enhancement of the modified asphalt mixture. Furthermore, the consolidation of Epoxy and Crumb Rubber resulted in a significant increase in resilient modulus and an enhancement in moisture resistance compared to control mixtures. However, excessive modifier dosages led to decreased resilient modulus and moisture resistance