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Allowable limits for Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) content in hot mix asphalt using simple indicative tests

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Abstract

This study presents a framework to establish the allowable limits for Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) content in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) based on indices derived from simple indicative tests on the RAP material. Such a framework can be adopted by the road agencies to develop allowable RAP content limits for the typical mix types used by the respective agency. This will allow the practitioners to make informed decisions on the allowable RAP content for a given RAP source based on the indicative tests on the RAP material. Such an approach waives the need to recover the bitumen from the RAP and subsequent testing. To achieve the stated objective, the present study has taken forward the indices from the fragmentation and cohesion tests (Sfrag and Sair-voids) based on which the RAP classification (or category) limits were proposed. These classification limits were based on test results obtained on fourteen different RAP sources with varying characteristics. The framework is presented by establishing the RAP allowable limits to these RAP categories for Bituminous Concrete (BC), the most widely used surface course HMA used in India. The RAP allowable limits were established by balancing the performance characteristics of the BC with varying amounts of RAP for each RAP source. The allowable RAP content for each category was proposed for two different grades of fresh bitumen. It was found that allowable RAP content limits obtained for RAP sources in each category are nearly the same, thus validating the classification approach adopted in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India

    Gurunath Guduru & Kranthi K. Kuna

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  1. Gurunath Guduru
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  2. Kranthi K. Kuna
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Correspondence to Gurunath Guduru.

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Guduru, G., Kuna, K.K. Allowable limits for Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) content in hot mix asphalt using simple indicative tests. Mater Struct 56, 27 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-023-02112-0

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