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ir
Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery
and Time Sweep Fatigue Tests
Crumb Rubber Modified Binder and Mixture Performance
Nader Tabatabaee and Hassan Ali Tabatabaee
Crumb rubber modification (CRM) is an effective means of improving
neat asphalt performance. Numerous studies have investigated the
effects of CRM using the current Superpave laboratory tests. Recent
studies have shown that the assumption of linear viscoelastic behavior
or employing insufficient stress or strain levels makes current tests
inadequate for properly assessing the performance of binders, especially
when modified. This problem has resulted in the development of improved
test methods such as the time sweep binder fatigue test and the multiple
stress creep and recovery (MSCR) test for permanent deformation.
The present study assesses the performance of binders modified with a
wide range of crumb rubber content using these newly developed test
methods. Additional binder and mixture performance tests were used
to compare and validate the results. The results showed that the new
tests performed well in predicting performance. Current Superpave
criteria also showed good conformance with mixture test results for
CRM binders. Tests results suggest that the MSCR can complement
current rutting prediction testing. Also, the time sweep test produces
results similar in accuracy to current Superpave tests, but it requires
longer testing time and is thus not recommended for performance
grading.
The need for more durable pavements with better performance and
longer service life has led the road industry toward modifying
asphalt binders. Crumb rubber modification (CRM) was one of the
first modifiers used in asphalt. In recent years, road developers have
moved away from CRM toward polymer modification because of its
positive effects at both low and high temperatures. However, the
high cost of polymer modifiers is a drawback to their widespread
use. The use of crumb rubber from discarded tires can reduce con-
struction and waste disposal costs while retaining many of the
positive effects that polymers lend to pavements.
Past research has highlighted the deficiencies of current specifi-
cation tests and parameters in describing the behavior of modified
binders (1). Studies have led to the development of new testing pro-
cedures, the effectiveness of which has been demonstrated for var-
N. Tabatabaee, Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology,
P.O. Box 11155-9313, Azadi Avenue, Tehran, Iran. H. A. Tabatabaee, Sharif
University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. Current affiliation for H. A. Tabatabaee:
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin
Madison, 3346 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706.
Corresponding author: N. Tabatabaee, nader@sharif.edu.
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board,
No. 2180, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington,
D.C., 2010, pp. 6774.
DOI: 10.3141/2180-08
67
ious modified binders. However, the scope of these studies has not
generally included crumb rubber modifiers.
The present study addresses this deficiency by testing CRM binders
with a wide range of rubber content using current Superpave spec-
ifications and time sweep and multiple stress creep and recovery
(MSCR) tests. Mixture performance tests were also used to evalu-
ate effectiveness of the new test methods and sensitivity of the tests
to the level of rubber modification. Results reveal the effect of CRM
on fatigue resistance and permanent deformation in regard to new
test parameters, giving a better understanding of how CRM affects
the performance of asphalt binders and mixtures.
BACKGROUND
Traditionally, the susceptibility of a binder to permanent deformation
was determined by test methods such as the ring and ball softening
point (2). In the SHRP studies, G*/sin was suggested to indicate
the resistance of binders to rutting at different temperatures (3).
These studies were mainly carried out on unmodified binders. Later
studies showed that these parameters performed poorly in predicting
the performance of modified binders, and thus attempts were made
to develop new test methods to predict performance independent of
the type of modification (1).
The dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) creep and recovery test was
developed as part of NCHRP Project 9-10. The test showed promising
results and correlated well with mixture tests for the binders tested.
However, the study did not include crumb rubber modifier (1). This
test was refined by the FHWA and developed into the current standard
MSCR test (ASTM D7405-08a) as a simple method to evaluate
permanent deformation in binders (4).
Another main type of distress in pavements is fatigue cracking.
Although it is recognized that fatigue distress is mainly caused by
damage within the asphalt binders, few studies have used binder
testing to evaluate damage behavior of binders under simulated test-
ing conditions (5). One common binder parameter used to estimate
fatigue cracking susceptibility is G*sin, determined using a DSR
according to current Superpave procedures (3). Studies have shown
that the results of this test correlate poorly with the results of mixture
fatigue tests (57). Furthermore, since current Superpave parameters
were derived from unmodified binders, the validity of this parameter
for modified binders is questionable (5).
Recently, researchers have focused on determining fatigue prop-
erties of mixtures from binder tests (3, 58). Although these studies
included modified binders, little attention was given to investigating
CRM. The present research fills this gap.
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68
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A PG 58-22 asphalt binder (Binder A) was selected as the base binder
for this study. Binder A was modified by adding 3%, 6%, 9%, 12%,
and 15% ambient ground crumb rubber slowly over 5 min while
mixing at 350 rpm using a laboratory scale mixer. Subsequent mixing
time was 60 min at 165C (330F). The resulting binders are identified
as A3%, A6%, A9%, A12%, and A15%.
The rubber particle gradation was relatively coarse, with 12%
remaining on the . 30 sieve and 80% remaining on the . 50 sieve.
A densely graded aggregate with a nominal maximum size of 12.5 mm
(0.5 in.) was selected and set to meet ASTM D3515-01 and Superpave
gradation criteria for dense gradation (AASAHTO MP2). To compen-
sate for the expansive effect of the crumb rubber, a gradation curve
close to the lower limits, as determined by Takallou et al., was used (9).
An optimum binder content of 6.2% of total mixture weight was
determined for binder A. For binders A3%, A6%, A9%, A12%, and
A15%, optimum binder contents of 6.5%, 6.8%, 7.1%, 7.4%, and
7.8% of total mixture weight, respectively, were used. The Marshall
mix design method was used to determine the optimum binder
content for a target air void volume of 4% 1%. As noted by previous
researchers, the use of CRM increased the optimum binder content
(9, 10). The binder and aggregate were blended at 165C (330F)
and compacted using a standard mechanical Marshall hammer.
Binder Testing Procedure
Time Sweep Binder Fatigue Test
Using a DSR, binder samples 8-mm diameter and 2-mm thick were
subjected to strain-controlled cyclic loading at a strain level of 10%
until the complex shear modulus (G*) reached 20% of its initial value.
Tests were performed at 15-Hz loading frequency. Tests were also
run at 1.59 Hz, but most binders did not fail in a reasonable time, and
thus this frequency was eliminated. The binders tested were aged
using a rolling thin-film oven (RTFO) and pressure aging vessel to
be comparable to current Superpave binder fatigue test specifications.
The test temperatures corresponded to indirect tensile (IDT) mixture
test conditions at 5C (41F) and 30C (86F). However, the results
of the 5C (41F) were discarded because excessive stiffness of the
binder at that temperature prevented the DSR from reaching the
target strain value during the test.
Multiple Stress Creep and Recovery Test
The MSCR test was carried out on all RTFO-aged CRM binders at
temperatures from 52C to 88C according to ASTM D7405-08a.
The average nonrecoverable creep compliance (Jnr) and the average
percentage of recoverable strain were calculated at the end of the
1-s creep plus 9-s recovery time. The loading was done in 10 cycles
at 100 Pa followed by 10 cycles at 3,200 Pa. A comparison of the
results at the two stress levels shows the degree of nonlinear behavior
of the material.
Mixture Testing Procedure
Indirect Tensile Strength Test
The IDT strength test was carried out on 100-mm (4-in.) diameter,
63-mm (2.5-in.) thick specimens using a 100-kN Dartek Universal
Transportation Research Record 2180
Testing Machine. The test settings were 30C (85F) at 0.85 mm/s
(2 in./min) and 5C (40F) at a 0.085-mm/s (0.2-in./min) crosshead
displacement rate. These temperatures are the two ends of the inter-
mediate temperature range occurring across Iran. Vertical displace-
ment and indirect tensile strength were recorded for each specimen.
Special attention was paid to tests conducted at 30C (85F) to make
certain all specimens failed in the tensile mode. Very little compression
damage was observed in the specimens, all of which was localized.
Unconfined Dynamic Creep Test
The unconfined dynamic creep (UDC) test was used to rank the mix-
tures by rut susceptibility. The test was performed in a temperature-
controlled chamber at a constant temperature of 40C 1C (104F
2F), on specimens 100 mm (4 in.) in diameter and 100 mm
(4 in.) in height. The test consisted of a 10-min preloading at 10 kPa
(1.45 psi) as conditioning stress, after which 3,600 cyclic loads of
100 kPa (14.5 psi) were applied at 0.5 Hz, with 1-s rest periods
between each cycle, according to the EN 12697-25:2005 standard
(European Committee for Standardization).
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
Fatigue Resistance
The crumb rubber modified PG 58-22 base binder grade was deter-
mined according to Superpave performance criteria. Lower values
of G*sin relate to higher resistance of the binder to fatigue crack-
ing at intermediate temperatures (3). Results showed that G*sin
decreased as the percentage of crumb rubber increased. A more
complete description of the CRM binder characterization results can
be found elsewhere (11, 12).
The IDT was chosen to predict the fatigue performance of mixtures
made with CRM binders used in this study. Tests performed on field
cores taken from WesTrack test track sections have shown that the
absorbed energy up to the point of failure (fracture energy) calculated
from the IDT strength test is an excellent indicator of the resistance
of a mixture to fatigue cracking (13). Thus, the fracture energy param-
eter was selected to investigate the fatigue resistance of mixtures in
the present study.
Results of the tests at 30C (86F) showed that increasing the
rubber content of the binders increased both the absorbed failure
energy and the IDT strength of the samples, although the change in
the absorbed energy was more pronounced (Figure 1). This indicates
a greater capacity to flex and absorb the mechanical work induced
by repeated tire loading on the pavement. Less work is dissipated
through crack formation and accumulated damage, resulting in better
resistance to fatigue cracking in pavements using CRM binders.
These results are consistent with the G*sin results, showing better
fatigue resistance in CRM binders.
In the next stage, the CRM binders were subjected to strain
controlled time sweep fatigue tests. Tests were done in triplicate for
each binder. One property of strain controlled fatigue tests in both
binders and mixtures is the lack of a clear failure point. Many criteria
have been suggested for determining the point of failure in such tests,
the most common being the point at which G* reaches 50% of its
initial value, N50%G* ini. Another criterion, Np, was used in NCHRP
Project 9-10. Np is determined by calculating the cumulative dis-
sipated strain energy ratio (DER) in each cycle and plotting the DER
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Tabatabaee and Tabatabaee 69

Indirect Tensile Strength (MPa)

IDT Dissipated Energy (N.m)
9 700
8
600
7
6 500
5 400
4 300
3
2 200
1 100
0 0
A15% A12% A9% A6% A3% A A15% A12% A9% A6% A3% A
Binder Type Binder Type
(a) (b)

FIGURE 1 Results of indirect tensile testing at 30C (86F): (a) absorbed energy to failure and
(b) indirect tensile strength.

against the number of cycles (N). The point of intersection between For a completely undamaged binder, the slope of the DER-N curve
the higher and lower asymptotes is defined as Np. The relationships will remain constant as the amount of dissipated energy in each
used to derive the dissipated strain energy for both strain-controlled cycle remains unchanged compared with previous cycles. As fatigue
and stress-controlled tests and the DER are shown as follows (1): damage occurs, more energy dissipates in the form of microcracks
forming in the binder, causing the DER line to deviate from linearity.
WN = N N sin N This deviation increases as the damage increases up to the point of
20 failure (5). In the present study, it was seen that, for binders with
= sin N (1) relatively low rubber content, the slope of the DER curve increases
G* N
rapidly. The slope deviation from linearity was less pronounced for
= G* N 20 sin N the A9% and A12% binders, while the DER slope for A15% remained
relatively constant, even after the normal duration of the test was
where N is the number of cycles and and are constant strain and extended, indicating the significant improvement in fatigue resistance
constant stress, respectively. for high rubber contents.
The DER at cycle N is calculated by The time sweep results and G*sin for all binders tested at 30C
(86F) were plotted against the results of the IDT mixture tests to
N

W i
evaluate conformation of the binder parameter to mixture fatigue
(Figure 2). In all figures, the data points from left to right correspond
DER = i =1
(2)
WN to binders with increasing rubber content. According to the R2 values
shown in Figure 2a and 2b, G*sin correlates well with IDT tensile
where the values of W for each cycle are derived from Equation 1. strength, but only moderately well with IDT dissipated energy, which
The results of the fatigue tests conducted on CRM binders and is a more relevant parameter to fatigue. But it can be seen that the
mixtures, including a time sweep at 15 Hz, are shown in Table 1. high R2 value for Figure 2b is due to the data point at the far left of
Np was observed to increase as the rubber content increased while the graph. Eliminating this data point reduces R2 to .688. This cor-
the results using N50%G*ini as the failure criteria followed a different relation is better than results obtained by researchers such as Bahia
trend. The time sweep showed that CRM increased the fatigue life et al. (1, 5) for other types of modified binders, which showed virtually
significantly. Judging by the other parameters measured, this is due no correlation between G*sin and mixture fatigue results. This is
to the combined effect of decreased stiffness and increased tensile probably due to only one modifier at different contents being used
strength and elasticity at intermediate temperatures in CRM binders. in this study, showing less variation in the trend.
Conformance of the time sweep results to mixture fatigue test
TABLE 1 Results of Binder and Mixture Laboratory Fatigue
results is shown in Figure 2c and 2d. It can be seen that the correlation
Resistance Tests of IDT tensile strength with Np is poor. However, an R2 value of 94%
shows that the correlation between Np and IDT dissipated energy is
Time Sweep at Indirect Tensile Test very good. This is not surprising, since Np is also based on dissipated
15 Hz and 30C G*sin at 30C energy.
at 30C
Results indicate that the time sweep test can be a better indicator
Binder Avg. Strength Dissipated
Type Avg. Np N50%G*ini kPa (MPa) Energy (N-m) of mixture fatigue behavior than the current G*sin specification.
DSR linearity tests on CRM binders show that binder response is
A 16,158 9,850 1,087 379 3.8 nonlinear at intermediate temperatures. Thus, the G*sin test run at
A3% 22,214 5,775 707 538 5.0 a low strain of 1% cannot properly reflect the behavior at higher
A6% 18,474 3,925 666 593 4.6 strains. Binders may undergo much higher strains under loading in
A9% 33,495 6,500 765 569 5.8 pavements; thus, the assumption that fatigue damage occurs within
A12% 41,294 21,267 514 616 6.1 the linear viscoelastic range is not accurate (5). To take this into
account, time sweep tests are usually conducted at 5% to 10% strain.
A15% 50,220 52,200 467 616 7.7
Furthermore, unlike the few loading cycles in the G*sin test, the
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70 Transportation Research Record 2180

1,200 1,200

G* .Sin at 30C (kPa)

G* .Sin at 30C (kPa)
1,000 1,000
R2 = 0.902 R2 = 0.688
800 800
R2 = 0.675
600 600

400 400

200 200
0 0
3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 350.0 400.0 450.0 500.0 550.0 600.0 650.0
IDT Dissipated Energy to Failure (N.m) IDT Tensile Strength (MPa)
(a) (b)

Time Sweep Cycles to Failure (Np)

Time Sweep Cycles to Failure (Np)

60,000 60,000

50,000 50,000
R2 = 0.453
40,000 40,000

30,000 30,000
R2 = 0.941 R2 = 0.450
20,000 20,000

10,000 10,000

0 0
3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 350.0 400.0 450.0 500.0 550.0 600.0 650.0
IDT Dissipated Energy to Failure (N.m) IDT Tensile Strength (MPa)
(c) (d)

FIGURE 2 Correlation between fatigue binder and mixture test parameters.

time sweep uses a relatively large number of cycles, which is more
similar to actual conditions. In the present study, better correlation
was observed between the time sweep results on CRM binders and
the IDT test than those achieved by Bahia et al. (1) between other
modified binders and the beam fatigue test. Other than only one
modifier being used, this could also be due to the high inherent scatter
and lower repeatability generally seen in fatigue life determined by
beam fatigue tests (14).
Disagreement has occurred about the ability of the DSR time
sweep test using parallel plate geometry to simulate actual fatigue
behavior. Planche et al. (6) postulated that edge fracture in low stiff-
ness binders is the actual cause of failure. Thus, the sample state should
be monitored during and after testing to ensure that an axisymmetric
the time sweep test as an indicator of the presence of modification and
its effect on binder properties, as well as underlining the tendency of
current Superpave criteria to underestimate the scope of improvement
in fatigue performance exhibited by CRM binders.
Permanent Deformation
As described, G* and were measured for the binders at high
temperatures. In the literature, researchers have noted the need to
increase the gap between the DSR testing plates from 1 mm to 2 mm
Relative Change from Base Binder

indentation midway between the plates does not form, since this is 3.5
indicative of edge fracture in the specimen. Martono et al. investigated Inverse G*.sin at 30C
this claim by comparing time sweep results using parallel plate 3 Time Sweep Np
geometry with torsion cylinder geometry, in which edge fracture is IDT Dissipated Energy
2.5
not a concern, and concluded that the parallel plate time sweep does
actually portray the fatigue behavior of binders (15). 2
Figure 3 shows the relative change in results obtained from each 1.5
test compared with the test results for unmodified base binder.
The inverse of G*sin was used in the figure to accommodate the 1
increasing trend of the other two parameters. The time sweep test 0.5
shows the highest sensitivity to modification compared with G*sin
and IDT dissipated energy. As expected, the binder tests are more 0
A A3% A6% A9% A12% A15%
sensitive to binder modification than the mixture test is, in which
Binder Type
factors such as aggregate properties contribute to the results. The
difference in sensitivity to modification between Np and G*sin , FIGURE 3 Relative change in each parameter compared
especially in the highly modified binders, shows the advantage of with unmodified base binder (Binder A).
 Downloaded from http://paperhub.ir
Tabatabaee and Tabatabaee
1.E-05
Unconfined Dynamic Creep
Compliance at 40C (l/Pa)
R2 = 0.741
1.E-06
0 5
RTFO-aged G*/sin at 64C (MPa)
FIGURE 4 Correlation of percent permanent deformation
for UDC test and G*/sin .
to comply with the gap-to-maximum rubber particle size ratio for
improved repeatability (16). Although, in the present study, limited
observations showed acceptable repeatability for both 1-mm and
2-mm gaps, the gap was increased to 2 mm.
It was seen that increasing rubber content in the binders con-
sistently increased G* and decreased , consequently increasing
G*/sin . G*/sin reflects material resistance to rutting according
to Superpave specifications (3). Thus, the higher G* at high tem-
peratures enables the CRM binder to better resist deformation under
loading, while the lower phase angle () corresponds to higher
elasticity, resulting in more deformation recovery. In the present
study, G*/sin at 64C was chosen to compare with the results of
other tests.
The CRM mixtures were tested using the unconfined dynamic creep
test. Results indicated that rubber modification had indeed improved
the rutting resistance significantly. Correlating the results with the
results obtained from the Superpave binder test yielded a high R2, as
seen in Figure 4. If UDC reflects actual pavement behavior, it can
be concluded that G*/sin is a suitable parameter for predicting
resistance to permanent deformation in CRM mixtures.
The MSCR test was carried out on all CRM binders at tempera-
tures from 52C to 88C according to ASTM D7405-08a. Results
obtained for Binder A15%, for example, are shown in Figure 5. As
0.0025
0.002
Jat 100 Pa for A15% (l/Pa)
0.0015
0.001
0.0005
0
FIGURE 5
71
expected, the creep compliance parameter (J) increased as temper-
ature increased and the binder softened. In the present study, the
averages of Jnr at 100 Pa (Jnr-100 Pa) and 3,200 Pa (Jnr-3,200 Pa)
at 64C were chosen for comparison. The values for permanent
deformation used in this study are shown in Table 2.
Results show that compliance significantly decreased as rubber
content increased, indicating much better rut resistance in highly
modified CRM binders. The amount of improvement in Jnr follows
a similar trend for both stress levels, as shown in Figure 6a. It was
also observed (not shown) that the stress dependency increased
10 15 20 as temperature increased.
Studying the recovery parameter shown in Table 2 and Figure 6b
yields interesting results. Although the percentage of recovery for
each binder is higher at 100 Pa than at 3,200 Pa, the amount of
improvement as rubber content increased is significantly higher at
3,200 Pa such that the ratio of recovery between A15% and A at
3,200 Pa is three times higher than for 100 Pa. These results under-
line the importance of stress sensitivity in CRM binders, a factor that
is not reflected by G*/sin. Nonetheless, all results indicated that the
addition of CRM significantly improves the resistance of the material
to permanent deformation.
Figure 7 shows the results of the MSCR test plotted against
parameters derived from other tests to evaluate conformance of results.
As can be seen, Jnr at 3,200 Pa did not correlate with UDC results as
well as G*/sin did (Figures 4 and 7). However, Jnr from MSCR at
both stress levels correlated very well with the compliance calculated
from the UDC, producing R2 values above 80%. Judging by Figures 4
and 7, MSCR and G*/sin binder tests both do a good job of predict-
ing permanent deformation behavior at laboratory scale. The advan-
tage of MSCR is the considerable amount of information it gives
about binder elastic recovery, compliance, and stress sensitivity.
Conveniently, ASTM D7405-08a allows both tests to be performed
on a single sample.
A comparison of the sensitivity of each test with CRM was carried
out, as shown in Figure 8. As expected, the mixture test shows sig-
nificantly less sensitivity to binder modification than do the binder
tests. It can be seen that Jnr changed to a greater degree as CRM
content increased compared with G*/sin . Results for binders with
12% and 15% rubber content show that G*/sin underestimates the
performance of highly modified CRM binders. It can be concluded
52C
58C
64C
70C
76C
82C
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Time (sec)
Binder A15% MSCR creep compliance at 100-Pa stress.
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72 Transportation Research Record 2180

TABLE 2 Results of Binder and Mixture Laboratory Permanent Deformation Tests

MSCR at 64C

100-Pa Stress Level 3,200-Pa Stress Level G*/sin at 64C (kPa) UDC Test
at 40C
Binder Recovery Recovery Original RTFO
Type Jnr (1/Pa) (%) Jnr (1/Pa) (%) Binder Aged J (1/Pa)

A 0.00117 21 0.04993 6 0.9 2.4 2.77E-05

A3% 0.00078 35 0.03626 13 2.7 5.6 6.65E-06
A6% 0.00034 48 0.01412 32 3.7 7.9 4.26E-06
A9% 0.00024 60 0.01204 39 5.7 10.8 4.57E-06
A12% 0.00008 76 0.00393 63 7.6 15.1 4.23E-06
A15% 0.00005 84 0.00275 72 10.9 17.5 3.30E-06

1 100
Jnr-100 Pa at 64C
Recovery at 64C (%)

0.1 Jnr-3200 Pa at 64C

Jnr at 64C (l/Pa)

0.01
R2 = 0.969 10
0.001
Recovery-100 Pa at 64C
0.0001
2
R = 0.979 Recovery-3200 Pa at 64C

0.00001 1
0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
Rubber Content (%) Rubber Content (%)
(a) (b)

FIGURE 6 MSCR test results: (a) creep compliance and (b) percent recovery at 64C at 100 Pa and 3,200 Pa.

1.E-03 6.E-02
MSCR Jnr at 64C (1/Pa)
MSCR Jnr at 64C (1/Pa)

Jnr-100Pa Jnr-3200Pa
1.E-03 5.E-02
1.E-03
4.E-02
8.E-04 2
R2 = 0.833
R = 0.864 3.E-02
6.E-04
2.E-02
4.E-04
2.E-04 1.E-02
0.E+00 0.E+00
1.E-06 1.E-05 1.E-04 1.E-06 1.E-05 1.E-04
Unconfined Dynamic Creep J at 40C (l/Pa) Unconfined Dynamic Creep J at 40C (l/Pa)
(a) (b)

FIGURE 7 MSCR versus mixture compliance from unconfined dynamic creep test.
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Tabatabaee and Tabatabaee
1.20
Jnr-3200 Pa at 64C
Relative Change from Base Binder
G*/sin at 30C
1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
0.20
0.00
A A3%
FIGURE 8 Relative change in each parameter compared with unmodified base
binder (Binder A).
that Jnr is a very suitable parameter for comparing modified and
unmodified binders, and the results are clearly related to the amount
of modification.
CONCLUSIONS
Binders modified with different percentages of crumb rubber were
tested and graded according to current Superpave specifications and
were subjected to MSCR and time sweep fatigue tests. Results of both
Superpave performance parameters were compared and correlated
with corresponding mixture laboratory tests to evaluate the suitability
of the tests for CRM binders and mixtures. The following important
observations and conclusions were made:
The current Superpave tests and new binder performance
test results, as well as the results of the mixture performance tests,
indicate that results using the current Superpave criteria have
underestimated the full scope of improvement caused by modify-
ing asphalt binders with crumb rubber, especially at higher levels
of modification.
CRM causes an increase in both G* and , resulting in improved
high- and intermediate-temperature performance grades.
G*sin decreased as rubber content increased, which indicated
an increase in binder elasticity at intermediate temperatures and an
improvement in fatigue resistance. G*/sin increased with rubber
content due to higher stiffness and elasticity at high temperatures,
which resulted in better rut resistance.
Results of the IDT test on CRM mixtures showed that the
addition of rubber increased both the tensile strength and dissipated
energy to the point of failure. The increase in dissipated energy was
more significant.
Results of the time sweep fatigue test showed that CRM signifi-
cantly improved the fatigue resistance of the binders. The effect of
rubber content is more pronounced in the time sweep results than
for the other fatigue parameters, underlining the greater sensitivity
of the time sweep to binder modification.
The number of cycles to failure in the time sweep test (Np)
had an excellent correlation of 94% with IDT dissipated energy.
73
Jnr-100 Pa at 64C
Dynamic Creep J at 40C
A6% A9% A12% A15%
Binder Type
This could be a result of the similar nature of the two parameters.
However, the correlation of Np with IDT tensile strength was
relatively poor.
The time sweep test better predicted fatigue resistance of
CRM binders than did the traditional G*sin parameter, although
G*sin performed well. However, replacing G*sin with the
time sweep test is inefficient because of the long duration of the
latter test.
Correlations observed between mixture and binder fatigue test
results were generally higher than those observed by other researchers.
This could indicate better suitability of the IDT test dissipated energy
parameter in indicating mixture fatigue behavior.
The MSCR test showed that rubber caused a significant increase
in binder elastic recovery, reducing permanent deformation and thus
improving rut resistance. A comparison of the two stress levels showed
that CRM binders were stress sensitive, showing less recovery at
3,200 Pa for each binder but more improvement as rubber content
increased. Jnr from the MSCR correlated well with the compliance
from the mixture test results.
G*/sin and MSCR recoveries both correlated extremely well
with the mixture results, which indicates they are both suitable param-
eters to predict CRM permanent deformation, although MSCR pro-
vides more useful information about the binder properties. Running
both tests on a sample is suggested.
REFERENCES
1. Bahia, H. U., D. I. Hanson, M. Zeng, H. Zhai, M. A. Khatri, and R. M.
Anderson. NCHRP Report 459: Characterization of Modified Asphalt
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The Characteristics of Nonbituminous Components of Bituminous Paving Mixtures
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