RHEOLOGICAL STUDY OF BITUMINOUS ECOBASES FOR COLD RECYCLING

Abstract

The environmental benefits of reduced toxic emissions, energy and economic savings, fewer and faster traffic disruptions, and increased safety for pavement operators make cold recycling pavement technologies far more advantageous than conventional reconstruction strategies. The recycling of asphalt mixes is therefore fundamental to a proper policy of natural resource conservation and "integrated" environmental design. Ecobases are an excellent cold recycling method because they allow the recycling of existing pavements, i.e. RAP, to be combined with the use of bituminous technology formulations, such as bituminous emulsions. Primarily composed of a bituminous and aqueous phase, these materials are undergoing ongoing research and development to enhance their mechanical performance, aiming to surpass that of traditional hot mix pavements. In addition, several studies, including this PhD thesis, are focused on identifying more environmentally friendly surfactants and achieving a higher pH for emulsion stability by using less acid and making the emulsion more stable, as well as on the identification of fillers capable of replacing those currently used, such as cement, which only provide stiffness, with substances capable of providing load-bearing capacity and flexibility at the same time, to resist the loads that road pavements must withstand today To this end, interfacial techniques have been demonstrated to be crucial. Interfacial instruments can measure the surfactant power of substances through interfacial tensions and therefore their ability to create emulsions. The -potential measurements and the observation in cylinders of the emulsions were fundamental for stability monitoring and were consistent with both the interfacial and bulk tests.