Abstract
Cold recycling is increasingly recognized around the world as a sustainable rehabilitation method because of its numerous benefits. Constituent materials within the recycling technique include reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), stabilizers (emulsion or foamed asphalt), optional active fillers (cement, hydrated lime, etc.), and/or virgin aggregates, all contributing to a complex material behavior. Given that the adoption of this technology remains limited because of the insufficient understanding of its complex material behavior and long-term durability, this study aims to investigate the mechanical properties and provide insights into the structural-level performance of engineered emulsion-treated cold recycled (CR-EE) materials in pavement structures. CR-EE mixtures with varying compositions, including differences in engineered emulsion content, presence of cement, RAP blends, and RAP source, were assessed for tensile strength, stiffness, and shear properties and compared to determine property sensitivity to mix composition. These laboratory-derived properties were then employed in a mechanistic analysis of a simulated CR-EE pavement to determine the allowable number of load repetitions to pavement failure, and peak vertical strain and principal stresses experienced by the CR-EE layer for plasticity analysis. Statistical explanatory analysis was also conducted to determine mix attribute effects on material properties. The findings revealed the critical influence of mixture composition on the mechanical properties of CR-EE materials, and contributions to overall pavement performance. Notably, significant effects of emulsion content, RAP, material density, temperature-dependent stiffness, and use of cement are observed. The stiffness property also proved to be insufficient in accurately capturing the contributions of the CR-EE layer to overall structural performance.
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