Permanent Deformation Characterization of Stone Matrix Asphalt Reinforced by Different Types of Fibers

Abstract

This paper focused on the stone matrix asphalt (SMA) technology that was developed essentially to guard against rutting distress. For this procedure, fibers play a racy role in stabilizing and preventing the drain down problem caused by the necessity of high binder content coupled with their strengthening effect. A set of specimens with cylindrical and slab shapes were fabricated by inclusions jute, polyester, and carbon fibers. For each type, three contents of 0.25%, 0.5%, and 0.75% by weight of mixture were added by lengths of 5, 7.5, and 10 mm. The prepared mixtures were tested to gain the essential pertained parameters discriminated by the values of drain down, Marshall quotient, rut depth, and dynamic stability. It has appeared that the fibers rate of 0.5% and 7.5 mm length is much appropriate to yield the best performance of modified mixtures. At these values, carbon fibers recorded the highest increase level of rutting resistance and dynamic stability by 53% and 100%, respectively while, jute fibers exhibited the lowest improvement by only 34% and 63%, respectively; nevertheless, they produced mixtures having the lowest drain down value. Regarding the index of plastic stiffness, polyester fibers embedded mixtures occupied the first rank of increasing by 38%.