Mechanical, electromagnetic and micromorphological properties of the asphalt concrete with waste ceramic tiles and glass powder

Abstract

The mechanical and electromagnetic properties of asphalt concrete with waste glass powder and ceramic material additives were investigated for possible usage of these voluminous waste products as environmentally friendly aggregates in asphalt mixtures for both regular asphalt pavements and wireless electric roads. Two sets of asphalt mixes containing five different ratios of glass powder as a filler (0%, 1.25%, 2.5%, 3.75% and 5%, by weight of the aggregate blend) and four different ratios of ceramic materials as an aggregate replacement (0%, 5%, 15% and 25%) were prepared. The mechanical testing included Marshall stability (MS) and flow tests along with other volumetric properties of the mixes based on the Marshall mix design methodology. Microscopic analyses were performed in order to delineate the relationships, and interactions between the constituents making up the mixtures.The results revealed that the changes in the mechanical and volumetric properties of the mixes were comparably small when waste glass powder and ceramic were used in lower ratios. The asphalt mixtures mostly had lower electromagnetic transmission and higher electromagnetic shielding effectiveness compared to the ones with no waste additives. Up to 25% glass powder and 5% ceramic contents provide satisfactory performance though some limitations indicate lower ratios, especially for the ceramic waste. Micromorphological analysis indicates critical information on the relationships and interactions between the constituents making up the mixtures and, in turn, the skeletal stability. Measurements on the fully developed asphalt binder films indicate minimum and maximum of 8 μm and 150 μm film thicknesses, respectively.