Research and application of rock asphalt dry-modified fluid mastic asphalt mixture for reflective crack treatment in asphalt pavements
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: To overcome the limitations of existing reflective crack treatment technologies for asphalt pavements, this study proposes a crack treatment approach using a fluid mastic asphalt mixture (FMA) modified with rock asphalt via the dry process. In this method, a one-time milling operation of 18 cm depth completely removes the damaged asphalt layers and crack sources, which are then backfilled with dense FMA mixture to eliminate the formation of reflective cracks at their origin. Although FMA mixtures exhibit excellent durability and crack resistance, their high-temperature stability is relatively weak and insufficient to provide adequate rutting resistance. Therefore, rock asphalt was employed for dry modification to enhance the high-temperature performance of the FMA mixture. Based on the Mastic Flow for Filling (MaFF) method, FMA-13 mixtures were designed with 1%, 3%, and 5% rock asphalt additions, while AC-13 and SMA-13 mixtures served as control groups. Pavement performance was comprehensively evaluated through rutting tests, Low-temperature trabecular bending test, and four-point bending fatigue tests. The results indicate that rock asphalt significantly enhances the high-temperature performance of the FMA mixture, with dynamic stability increasing by 65%, 142%, and 180% at 1%, 3%, and 5% addition levels, respectively. However, the low-temperature crack resistance and fatigue performance decreased to varying extents with increasing rock asphalt content. The maximum bending strength decreased by 30.3%, 56.8%, and 62.0%, while fatigue life was reduced by 17%, 60%, and 77%, respectively. A comprehensive evaluation using a multi-criteria normalization method determined 1% as the optimal addition level. To verify the practical feasibility of this technology, a test section was constructed on the Jiebo Expressway. The results showed that the air void content of FMA core samples was approximately 1% across all layers, indicating uniform asphalt mastic distribution, dense aggregate packing, and high construction quality. This method provides an efficient and reliable engineering solution for reflective crack prevention under heavy traffic conditions, effectively improving pavement durability and service life.
Authors: Ke Xu, Jianwen Song, Zhe Li, Guipeng Fang, Zhenghui Zha, Kuanghuai Wu
Institution: Guangzhou University
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,660
OpenAlex ID: W4416795904