Performance Improvement of Asphalt Mixes with Liquid Polymers and Warm Mix Technology: A Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66132/ngce20260250Keywords:
Liquid Polymer, Tensile Strength, VG-30 mix, Asphalt mixturesAbstract
The performance and durability of bituminous pavements are strongly influenced by the binder characteristics and the asphalt mix composition. This study evaluates improvements in asphalt mix performance through the incorporation of a liquid polymer, Vinyl Acrylic Copolymer (VAC), and warm-mix technology in bituminous concrete. VG-30 bitumen was modified with 0.5% liquid polymer to develop a liquid-polymer-modified binder (LPMB), and its behaviour was compared with that of conventional mixes prepared with VG-30. Bituminous concrete mixes were prepared with lime and fly ash as fillers, and their optimum binder contents were determined using the Marshall mix design method. Results showed that incorporating a liquid polymer improved key performance parameters of the mixes, including Marshall stability, retained stability, indirect tensile strength, and tensile strength ratio. Mixes prepared with fly ash performed better than those with lime, indicating enhanced resistance to moisture damage and improved overall stability. The tensile strength ratio increased from 86.51% in the conventional VG-30 mix with lime to 91.12% in the polymer-modified mix, while retained stability also improved from 88.56% to 90.32%. Although the elastic recovery of the modified binder did not fully satisfy IRC SP-53 requirements, the modified mixes demonstrated better engineering performance than conventional mixes. The study concludes that liquid polymer modification, combined with appropriate filler selection and warm-mix technology, can enhance the functional properties of asphalt mixtures, resulting in more durable, sustainable pavement construction.
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